Something to FEAR about
by pyrothemusical
Summary: Another semester has started for team RWBY, and it seems to start off with... a strange beginning. Prof. Ozpin has introduced a new student and he seems a bit...weird. He rarely talks at all, he covers his face with a hood, and his powers and semblance are unknown. However, as the days progress, team RWBY uncover what is hidden in the shadows...and are stricken by one feeling: FEAR
1. Prologue

** Something to FEAR about **

Prologue

"... I am nothing. I am no one. My sole purpose is to complete one objective: to protect the ones I love and to strike **FEAR** upon my enemies…"

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><p>Remnant, Vale. Midnight.<p>

The streets were empty as the sky was pitch black. No sound was emitted in the streets as people safely slept in their houses, not worrying about anything. It was dim without the brightness of light; darkness covered the area, revealing nothing, concealing everything.

However, not everyone was asleep on this specific night. In the shadows of the streets, one hooded figure arose, as if emerging from the shadows. Looking at both sides of the street, he walked straight towards a building covered in stones. Arriving there, he looked around him before he knocked three times upon it. After waiting for a few minutes, the door creaked open, revealing the bloodshot eye of a man.

"Password?" the man asked through the creak of the door.

"...Fear…" the other figure replied.

"Hmmph. It is you after all," the man said, opening the door wide open for the figure to enter. "C'mon. The boss is expecting you."

Together, the two walked along a dark hallway, closing in upon a door that was barely lit. While walking, the man suddenly sneered, "You know, I don't know what the boss sees in you. Really, you're just a brat who doesn't know what true pain is…."

"..." the figure still remained silent as they approached the door. The other man opened the door, walked in, and motioned the figure to follow suit after him. Walking inside the room, the figure noticed several things. Security guards and thugs sat around the room, all looking bored or with evil glares that were staring at the newly approached stranger. Weapons were scattered among the minions, ranging from swords and knives to guns and firearms.

"Ahhh… you've finally arrived…"

Turning towards the source of the voice, the figure turned to see a short, chubby man sitting in the middle of the room behind a desk. Wielding a cane, he pointed it at the figure, "You have the object, boy?"

Bowing in respect, the hooded figure handed a suitcase towards him, as if it emerged from out of thin air. Opening the case to check its continents, he greedily grinned while he laughed gleefully. Closing it afterwards, he said, "Yeah, you sure did your mission correctly. Now, this will truly help my future plans…"

However, he was interrupted by the motion that the figure was giving him, as if indicating that he was requiring something.

"Ah! You want your payment?" The hooded figure nodded. "Well, about that…" Clicking a finger, the other henchmen stood up, weapons at arms, all pointing at the figure. "Since your services are no longer required, we have no further use for you. Thank you for your help, and I'll see you in hell!" Nodding to the others, they yelled as they charged with their weapons. Turning around, the chubby man exited the room, not even worried about the aftereffects. _There was no way he would be able to survive an attack like that, even if he was good at fighting!_ he thought. _It's 50 vs 1! I precisely made sure that he would not be able to survive an attack that large! Now, to focus on upcoming eve- … _However, his thoughts were interrupted as there were sudden screams, coming from the room he had just exited. Turning around rapidly, he opened his eyes…. and yelled in horror at the figure he had now seen.

* * *

><p><em>2 hours after incident<em>

Ozpin was a helicopter seat, right beside the pilot flying the chopper. Looking upon the starry sun, he then looked down to read the report his acquaintance, Glynda Goodwitch, a professor at Beacon academy, a school which trains students to become hunters and huntresses, sent in. It consisted that many people heard the yells of pain and the screams of fear. However, the yells and screams immediately drowned down, almost as if they have never happened. Curious and suspicious, he personally came to see what have happened instead of sending one of his team of hunters and huntresses to come in and investigate. Therefore, here he was, flying over towards downtown Vale to locate the scene where the yells and screams came from. According to the witnesses, it came from the building that was rumored to hold the crime lord, Walter Danzo, a man that was known for his black marketing business and his hiring of mercenaries and assassins. Sighing in deep thought, he looked outside once more to see that they have reached their destination. Professor Ozpin stepped out of the helicopter, he looked at the now destroyed building in front of him, seeming as if it was glaring down upon him. Grabbing the bridge of his nose, he sighed, "Well, this is going to be tough…"

Entering the building, Ozpin looked around him as he viewed the scenery. The hallways seemed to be deserted, as if no one has stepped a foot upon the building. Still, he continued to make his way upon the door at the end of the hallway, his cane at the ready for any immediate threats. As he was opening the door to the room, he sensed a… hostile presence behind it. It wasn't evil, no, but it was grim and dark, as if the presence had never experienced a happy moment in it's life. Frowning a bit, Ozpin opened the door… and widened his eyes in shock at the scene he had just saw.

Crimson red blood. It covered the whole room. Corpses were everywhere as they were smashed and sliced into pieces, showing the killer had no mercy or regret. Weapons scattered, either broken or dissembled into little pieces by a sheer amount of power. However, what brought fear into Ozpin's mind was the figure standing in the middle of the room.

The figure was hooded, clearly not willing to show his face towards strangers. He wielded a black cloak, now dark red from the blood stains. Along his waist was a dark, black sword, stained with dry blood along the bladed edge of the sword. However, it seemed as if the sword was emitting a shadowy fire along the blade, similar to those in ancient mythology. Noticing Ozpin's presence among him, the hooded figure turned with the sword at his side, defending himself from any incoming attacks from the newly approached stranger.

Shaking the fear out of his mind, Ozpin managed to ask the question he was pondering the entire time without any fear in his voice, "...Who are you?"

**End of Prologue...**

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><p><em>Hey guys. Pyrothemusical here. Anyway, here's the new project I have been planning on working on in a while, so I hope this good. I would like to add that this is a PROLOGUE, so it won't be quite long as my other chapters. Also, this is going to be a canon to the RWBY series, meaning it will have the same characters and setting, but a different plot. So, if you have anything to say for it, leave your comments! The first chapter will be posted around Monday-Tuesday. <em>

_See you guys later,_

_Pyrothemusical._


	2. Chapter 1: A new arrival

**Something to FEAR about**

Chapter 1: A new arrival

"... Darkness. That is the one thing I wish to be surrounded with. I do not enjoy the company of others, no matter if they are human or faunus. The reason is because every person I see… has a reason to **FEAR** me."

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><p>Beacon Academy. Morning.<p>

Beacon Academy. A facility for training teams of fighters to slay the various monsters known as Grimm that plagued Remnant. Students with the spirit, courage, and aspirations to become hunters and huntresses, they would be offered a chance to attend the academy. Holding many locations within the campus, such as the Beacon Academy statue and the Amphitheater, it was a huge academy, containing many students.

"HAAAA…." Ruby Rose yawned as she rubbed her eyes. Waking up from her sleep, Ruby sat up as she stretched, blinking lazily as she looked around. In her dorm consisted team RWBY, sleeping as it was right now 7:30 am. All four members were spread out across the room, resting on their beds and snoring peacefully.

Shaking her black and red hair, Ruby fell to the ground, landing on her feat. Walking as if she were still asleep, the scythe-user stumbled upon the washroom to take a shower and to wash up. 15 minutes later, Ruby stepped out of the bathroom, wide awake and wearing her combat skirt, for it was the weekends and there was no class today. Noticing that the rest of her team was still asleep, Ruby sighed as she pulled a silver whistle out of her skirt pocket. _I hope the others won't kill me for this… _Ruby thought as she blew the whistle.

TWEET!

What happened after was a disaster. All 3 other team members of team RWBY immediately yelled in surprise and fell out of their beds, ending up on the ground, groaning in pain The first one to rise from the ground was Ruby's sister, Yang Xiao Long.

"What the heck, Ruby!? Do you want me to throw you out of the window!?"

Clutching her head in pain, Yang shook her long, golden, blonde hair of her shoulders while staring daggers at Ruby. Known for her stubborn determination and extreme protection for her sister, Ruby Rose, Yang was one who was described as, "One who would teach her babies to survive by pushing them off a cliff to fend for themselves." However, it seemed as if her rage would not spare Ruby this time.

"S-Sorry guys, but…"

"Come on, Ruby! Just because you can't sleep doesn't mean the rest of us can't either!" came another grumpy voice. As the figure rose, she straightened her white, snowy hair, revealing a scar near her left eye. With little patience and a large ego, the figure revealed herself as Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee company, one that was famous for its exportations of dust. Glowing white eyes revealed her icy mood which matched with her bossy attitude.

"G-Guys, you know we have an assembly at 8:15 am t-today, right?" Ruby asked while cowering in fear.

"Yeah, so what?" Yang's snappy and cranky answer replied to her question as she rubbed her eyes.

"...Look at the clock right now."

All three heads turned towards the clock, showing 8:00 am.

A few seconds of silence…. then…..

"Oh No!/Crap! We're going to be late!" Weiss and Yang yelled as they went to get changed, leaving Ruby in the dust.

"... S-Sometimes (cough) I wonder if I'm really the least mature here…" Ruby coughed as she rubbed her eyes.

"Don't worry, they'll eventually forgive you."

Ruby opened her eyes and turned towards the source of the voice: Blake Belladonna. A cat faunus with cat ears, Blake had long, wavy black hair with amber eyes. She had a way of disappearing into the shadows as she was quite quiet most of the time, mostly reading or choosing not to engage in conversations with others.

"I hope so," Ruby replied. "Anyway, shouldn't you get dressed for the assembly?"

"I already did," Blake said as she tied her ribbon between her cat ears. "Before any of you woke up, I decided to stroll around the gardens for awhile. But, I felt a bit tired and dozed off when I layed down."

"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't even notice! Well, do you wanna start going to the Amphitheater? I really don't feel like waiting for the others."

"...Sure," Blake responded as she started leaving the room. "Besides, I don't want to hear the others arguing about-"

"I'M TAKING A SHOWER FIRST, GET OUT RIGHT NOW!" Weiss and Yang's voice filled the bathroom like a swarm of annoying bees. Sweat dropping at the remark, Ruby turned to the door and thought, _It's probably for the best..._

* * *

><p>"Ruby, I'm going to make you regret every single decision you have just made this morning…"<p>

"Hey! If I didn't wake you guys up, we would be late for the assembly, so stop blaming me, Weiss! You guys sleep like a bunch of rocks!"

"...At least we didn't miss the assembly…"

"Will you guys, please be quiet!? Ozpin's going to start the assembly!"

"Good morning students," Professor Ozpin announced right on cue as every student in the Amphitheater went silent, including team RWBY. "Today, I have gathered you all here for a few reasons. First, I wish to announce upcoming events in the future…"

Just by hearing those words, Ruby started to doze off by Ozpin's words. Although she respected Professor Ozpin for his kindness and help into getting in Beacon 2 years ahead of the standard age requirements, she could never stay awake when anyone started talking for a long time. Therefore, the only thing Ruby heard was peace and quiet...until Weiss nudged Ruby in the ribs. Painfully.

"Ow! Ow! I'm awake, I'm awake!" Ruby cried as she clutched her side in pain.

"Good, you dolt!" Weiss scolded while wiping her hand with a white cloth. "Come on, Ozpin's announcing something special, so stay awake!"

"...I wonder what it's going to be about..." Blake commented as she continued to read her book.

"I don't know, but I hope it's going to be something interesting!" Yang cheerfully said as she straightened her hair again. (god knows how many times she did that)

"Oh! Here he comes, everyone!" Ruby squealed in excitement as Professor Ozpin returned with a hooded figure.

Stepping in front of the microphone, Professor Ozpin cleared his throat as he said, "Now, as you know, the second semester is starting now and classes will be resuming again. However, we have a new student that will be attending classes at Beacon Academy with us." Excitement and murmurs filled the crowd as the news was announced: It was quite strange for a student to arrive during the middle of the school year, especially, by themselves

Clearing his throat, Ozpin continued, "Well, now that we have established that, I would like to introduce to all of you our new student, Dynos Felder."

Applaudes rang across the Amphitheater, coming from every student as the hooded figure walked towards the front of the stage. Bowing in respect, the figure turned and walked back towards his original spot. Sighing at his introduction as he was hoping for Dynos to start talking, Professor Ozpin continued, "Of course, he will be requiring a team to work with for the time being until he finds other... companions. So, which would like to take Dynos as a team member?"

Silence. It filled the Amphitheater as each team was considering the option of taking a fifth member along with them. The thoughts of every student were varying from positive to negative comments. Especially the thoughts from team RWBY, that is.

_Heh, I like him!_ Yang smirked as she was observing Dynos. _Tall, silent, respectful. He'll be someone interesting to work with..._

_Hmmm... I don't know if I could trust him in battle with the limited communication he gives,_ Blake observed with her two faunus eyes, eyeing Dynos with caution. _Also…he reminds me too much of Adam…that's not a good sign…_

_Hmmph! He seems….strange._ Weiss glared at Dynos with her sharp, blue eyes as he looked around the Amphitheater. _I don't know why Professor Ozpin would even let him come to Beacon though. I mean, he doesn't even have his weapon with him and it looks like he won't talk a lot. I just hope that Ruby won't yell-_

"We'll take him as our fifth team member, Professor!"

All of the heads in the Amphitheater turned towards the source of the cheerful voice, including Yang, Blake, and Weiss. Waving towards the professor was Ruby with a big, cheerful grin upon her face. With their mouths and eyes wide open in shock, Weiss, who was the first to recover from the sudden shock, scowled and pinched Ruby's ear. Painfully. Again.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Ruby whimpered in pain while she tried to resist Weiss iron's grip.

"You idiot!" Weiss whispered to her ear. "We barely know this guy! How do you know that this guy won't be a hindrance in our team! Did you not-"

"Ahem." Both girls turned towards Professor Ozpin, clearly indicating for their attention for the time being. "Well, if it is okay with team RWBY, I would now like to introduce you to your new team member and co-leader, Dynos Felder. Please show him around Beacon Academy so he can apply to his surroundings."

A few seconds of silence… then…

"WHAT!?"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, all 5 teenagers were standing in front of team RWBY's dorm, each holding different expressions within their mind; Weiss fuming with newly approached anger, Ruby and Yang each holding wild grins upon their faces, and Blake and Dynos (under his hood) showing no emotion. After the assembly in the Amphitheater, Ozpin requested that team RWBY should introduce him around the campus, firstly by showing him where he would be staying for the time being. However, no sooner did Ruby close the door, Weiss immediately walked in front of Dynos to make sure she had his full attention.<p>

"Okay, you have 5 seconds right now to explain to me why on earth Ozpin would allow you to become co-leader of team RWBY!" Weiss glared at Dynos while he observed his surroundings. "Hey, I'm talking to you right now!"

"Chill, Snow Angel," Yang chuckled as leaned against the wall across the window. "He just got here, so let him rest a bit."

"One: do **not** call me that nickname. And two, that's exactly the reason why! I don't understand why Ozpin would blindly allow someone who we barely know and worked with to become a co-leader! I mean, I don't even know if he's a good fighter. He could probably be a hunter who cheated his way through Be- WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING!?"

The others turned towards and were shocked to see Dynos draw out a dark red and black crimson sword that was concealed in a gray scabbard, identical to the colour of his cloak. Swinging it around a few times with his wrist, he gestured Weiss to take a look at it.

"Wha-What? You want me to take a look at your weapon?" Weiss stumbled upon her words as Dynos nodded in reply.

Silence again…. then…..

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?!"

The others sweat dropped as the argument continued: Weiss constantly bickering as Dynos remained silent as a mute.

"You know, I don't know how he remains calm when Weiss is pulling a tsundere at him. I would run away at first glance if she were to explode like that." Ruby whispered to the other two as Weiss continued her small rant. Finally, she yelled, "You're probably just a fake, you know? What's so special about you?!"

An awkward silence followed the last comment. After what seemed to be an eternity, all of the members heard a whisper, "If there is nothing special about me, what difference does it apply to you, spoiled brat?"

***SLAP***

Heavily breathing, Weiss brought her hand away from Dynos' face and hood, which was facing towards the direction she slapped him. Shaking with anger, she breathed, "How. Dare. You. Say. That. To Me!" Regaining her composure,Weiss brushed past Dynos, saying in an icy tone, "Amphitheater, stadium. I am challenging you to a duel, right now."

"Wait, Weiss!" Ruby yelled. "We have to show him around Beacon first!"

"I don't care! I'll do whatever it takes to prove who is more superior!" Weiss stomped her foot as she gave Dynos an icy glare.

Looking at her furious expression, Dynos slowly nodded as he retracted his sword with the scabbard. Shrugging to the others, he dropped the luggage he brought in on the ground and followed Weiss as she exited the room, leaving the others in shock of the events that have just occurred. After a few seconds of silence, (this is becoming a thing, huh?) Yang finally said, "Well...that was a thing, wasn't it?"

"...That would be the best way to describe what just happened..." Blake commented as Ruby blinked a few times in surprise.

"Should we go after them?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, that would be the best idea," Yang replied as she scratched her chin in amusement. "Besides, I wanna see how he fights."I want to see how this guy does against Weiss himself."

"Do you think he'll lose, though?" Ruby asked.

"You know, I don't really know. I mean, we all know how talented Weiss is in combat, but I really want to know what are Dynos' combat skills."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ruby exclaimed. "Let's go watch the match!"

Nodding in reply, Ruby was met with "Yep!" and "Sure." from Yang and Blake before they exited the room. However, a few moments later, if one were to concentrate real hard, a distinct clicking sound could be heard outside, followed with a faint chuckle. "Well, it seems he has made a few friends now," came a faint voice with a french accent. "What do you suggest we should do now?"

"Let him have a few days of working with his team," another shadow appeared as another voice came. "Until the time comes, when **he **calls us, we will be preparing, in the shadows."

"As always, patience is a virtue." the first voice replied, laughing in a cold tone. "Well, so long for now, _collègue_! I'll see you in hell!"

And just like that, the two shadows outside disappeared, as if they never existed in the first place.

**End of Chapter 1...**

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><p><em>Hey everyone, Pyrothemusical here. Just like I said in the prologue, this is chapter one of Something to <strong>FEAR <strong>about. I'll probably do a routine of posting these chapters once per week. __That way, I'll be able to balance my summer school time and my story writing time. (I'm taking Civics and Careers right now: **I HATE IT SO MUCH!**) Anyway, mini rant over. _

_I would also like to add that RWBY volume 2; trailer is out, so for all of you RWBY loving fans, I highly recommend you go check it out on Rooster teeth. Also, RWBY volume 2 is going to air around July 24th, and I really happy right now! **SQUEAL!=)**_

_Anyway, that's all for now, so as always, take care everyone._

_See you guys later,_

_Pyrothemusical._


	3. Chapter 2: Abilities discovered

**Something to FEAR about **

Chapter 2: Abilities discovered

"...Emotions are a phenomenon that mankind can not describe. However, they have named several of them that exist, hidden within ourselves in the shadows. Happiness, sadness, anger, love… they exist for unknown reasons…. I am the one exception. The hollow shell, a body without a proper soul. Although I do not show any emotions, I radiate one towards the people around me: **FEAR**."

* * *

><p>"First, allow me to set the rules…"<p>

Amphitheater, Dueling Arena. The two opponents were at either end of thering; Dynos at one end, Weiss at the other. Each were preparing themselves by wielding a grip upon their weapons, staring at the other with fire within their eyes. Sitting on the sidelines were Ruby and Blake, watching the match while Yang was going to play as referee for the duel.

"Who do you think's going to win, Blake?" Ruby asked while Yang was continuing with the safety rules, as she knew Blake was the most observant in team RWBY.

"...To be honest, I'm not entirely sure," Blake said, much to Ruby's surprise.. "We all know that Weiss is a really good fighter, but we know nothing about Dynos's fighting skills. Actually, we don't even know what kind of semblance he uses."

Blinking in realization, Ruby nodded as she turned her head towards the arena, watching both Dynos and Weiss at the same time. "Well, I think that Weiss is going to win this match! I mean, she's kinda unstoppable when someone insults her."

Smirking, Blake nodded as well, "That is true. It's just like that time when you spilled your hot chocolate on her dress during combat lessons."

"Hey, it was an accident!" Ruby pouted while mumbling, "Besides, I already apologized."

"I'm just kidding with you Ruby," Blake chuckled as she continued to observe the ring. "Oh, it looks like the match is about to start!"

Both girls turned to watch as Yang finished her rant of the safety rules. "Well, now that we have that out of our way, let's try not to have any gruesome deaths, okay?" Yang smiled as she raised her hand. "Get ready in 3…," The two opponents stood at attention. "2…" Shifting into a fighting position, Weiss with Myrtenaster, her rapier, in her hand. Dynos just stood there, motionless without any movement. "1…" Ruby was shaking in excitement as Blake observed with curiosity and interest. "**BEGIN!**"

Weiss sped towards Dynos, striking with a swing with Myrtenaster. Dynos simply sidestepped the swing and attempted a punch. Weiss rolled out of the way, then dashed again, this time bring her rapier towards the hood of Dynos's cloak. Again, Dynos dodged by ducking and backing up as Weiss continued to proceed a fury of attacks, ranging from slashing at him to attempting to stab him with Myrtenaster. Muttering in annoyance, Weiss swung her lance, projecting However, Dynos still managed to play the dodging game by avoiding her movements and backing up with each attack Weiss produced.

"I don't get it," Ruby commented as the fight went on for more than 5 minutes. "Why does he continue dodging if he can attack Weiss right now?"

"I'm not quite sure," Blake responded as she watched the match unfold. "It could be that he is trying to tire Weiss out, but I'm not quite sure that's what his goal is. Perhaps-"

"**ENOUGH!**"

Ruby and Blake jumped at the sudden outburst of Weiss's voice. Turning towards the arena, they saw Dynos standing, waiting for Weiss's attacks while Weiss seemed to be exhausted from chasing Dynos. Panting heavily, Weiss flipped the revolver chamber of Myrtenaster, wielding a light blue glow. Thrusting the blade in the ground of the ring, a field of ice emerged from the blade, heading towards Dynos. Although he tried to dodge the attack, it managed to enclose around the bottom of his cloak, applying pressure and making him immobile to move.

"Ha! Now try to dodge this!" Weiss exclaimed as she flipped the revolver chamber again, this time wielding a white glow. Charging towards Dynos, who simply stood there, Weiss brought the sword towards his head.

…..Drip...Drip...Drip….

"Wh-What just happened?! I thought he would defend himself!"

"I-I'm not quite sure...Perhaps…he thought this was a better solution?"

Ruby and Blake stood in shock as they saw what had just happened. Blood covered Weiss's white skirt and Dynos's cloak as the two remained still as statues; Weiss being shocked with horror and Dynos remaining emotionless without any sign of pain. Apparently, Dynos used his right hand to deflect Weiss's attack, forcing the blade to pierce his hand. Doing so caused Myrtenaster to remain stuck in the gash, covered in blood.

"...Are you finished with your little game?"

Weiss flinched at Dynos's quiet voice. There was no hint of anger, resentment, or fury in his voice; it was empty, as if it were a hollow shell. Dynos gently pushed Weiss away as he examined the wound. To everyone's shock, he proceeded into ripping Myrtenaster out of his hand, causing even more blood to spread around him. Tossing the weapon to the horror stricken Weiss, he stated, "...Here I come. Prepare yourself."

"Wait, y-you don't actually think you can still fi-" Weiss was interrupted as Dynos proceeded to draw his sword and charged at Weiss. Bringing Myrtenaster to her hand, she was met with a fury attacks from Dynos, all with his left hand. Rolling to the right, Weiss attempted to freeze him again by flipping the revolver chamber of Myrtenaster bach to light blue, but was intercepted as Dynos brought his blade down upon Myrtenaster, making it impossible for Weiss to fire the ice again. Gasping for breath, Weiss dodged another blow from Dynos as he swung his blade at her again.

_H-How is he this fast? _Weiss thought as she swung Myrtenaster back at Dynos. _At the start of the fight, he was fast, but not this fast! This is absurd!_

Noticing her displeasure, Dynos feinted towards the left, attempting to make it look like he was going to strike there. Weiss immediately defended to the left, thinking that he would attack to her left. Quickly stepping back, Dynos brought his sword to the right, hitting Weiss in the ribs with all his force.

"Ah!" Weiss cried in pain as she immediately fell to her side.

"Weiss!" Ruby yelled in concern as she saw what had just happened.

"I'm okay, Ruby!" Weiss yelled in annoyance as she brought a hand upon her hands. "Don't worry about me! I'll be able to beat him!"

"Weiss…" Ruby muttered in concern as she watched the battle continue.

"Ruby, you have to trust in Weiss, alright?" Blake said as she grimaced at the fight. "Remember, this is Weiss we're talking about. She won't go down easily."

"Yeah, I know…" Ruby answered back. Grinning suddenly, she added, "Weiss won't lose, at least not that easily!"

_Come on, Weiss! Pull yourself together! You can't let your team down by losing like this! _Dynos started walking towards Weiss, sword at hand as he brought the sword above her, almost like an execution. Softly speaking, he asked, "...Do you surrender, Weiss Schnee?"

Eyes blazing with energy, Weiss responded with a sudden yell, "**NEVER!**" She then knocked Dynos's sword back, pushing him away from him.

Regaining his posture, Dynos recovered instantly by dodging the sudden blows and strikes from Weiss.; he evaded numerous of them, although some managed to slice his cloak a bit. Weiss proceeded to rotate the revolver chamber to red, causing a red aura to surround Myrtenaster. Rushing forward, Weiss swung at Dynos, causing him to leap out of the way. He retaliated by swinging his weapon back, using the momentum to try to catch Weiss off guard. However, he was surprised as Weiss brought her rapier forward, indicating she wasn't going to defend against his strike. Not expecting this, he jumped backwards, right into her trap.

"I got you now!"

Looking down, Dynos finally noticed that there were several glyphs located around him, surrounding around him in a circle, restraining his movements. As he returned his gaze back at Weiss, he also noticed, for the first time, that the revolver chamber of the Myrtenaster was glowing light blue. While Dynos calmly watched, Weiss flipped the revolver chamber back to red as she concentrated on her target. Smirking at his defeat, Weiss stated, "This time, I win!" before hurling several fireballs, causing a huge explosion to rock the arena as it hit its target.

"Yeah! Weiss won!" Ruby cheered as smoke began to surround the arena. "I knew she could win the match!"

"...Shouldn't we be concerned about our 'new' teammate, Ruby? He did just get blown into smithereens." Blake asked as she scratched her neck.

"...Oh yeah…" Ruby blinked a few times before realization hit her face. "Wait….**OH NO!**" Turning towards Weiss, Ruby yelled, "Weiss! You weren't supposed to blow him up!"

"Don't worry, he'll probably survive the blow." Weiss reassured her as she wiped her hand across her forehead and reattached Myrtenaster to her side. "I made sure not to directly aim at him. As long as he tried to defend against the shot, he'll be fine."

"...And that will be your worst mistake."

Eyes widening, Weiss immediately spun around to the sound of voice, located in the cloud of smoke. When the smoke dispersed, it revealed…nothing.

"Weiss," Ruby pointed at the ceiling. "He's up there!"

Weiss looked up at the direction Ruby was pointing at. Sure enough, Dynos was there, dangling from the ceiling like a bat. Crouching, Dynos raised his sword and muttered one silent word, "Fall."

Almost like magic, Dynos appeared in front of Weiss, holding the sword to her neck. Gasping in fear, Weiss immediately rolled back and stood back, Myrtenaster at her side to defend herself. However, it was futile as Dynos produced a furies of attacks, all of which Weiss could not defend herself from. Gritting her teeth in pain with blood splattered across her white dress, she attempted to flip the revolver chamber of Myrtenaster... only to find Dynos's blade across her neck, restraining any movement coming from Weiss unless she wished for her death.

"...Yield." Dynos said as the emotionless voice poured through the tense atmosphere in the Amphitheater.

Reluctantly, Weiss lowered Myrtenaster as Dynos sheathed his sword back into its scabbard. Dynos then looked at Weiss directly in the eye, bowed, and walked out of the arena while holding the wound upon his right hand. Before leaving the Amphitheater, Dynos turned around and said, "Do you truly believe I am a fake now, Ms. Schnee?" Noting her silence, he turned around once again and left the Amphitheater, leaving an echoing thud as the doors closed shut.

"Weiss, are you okay?!" Ruby asked as she and Blake ran to her from the side of the arena, helping Weiss up.

"Y-Yeah, I think so," Weiss gulped as she gasped for air. "...I really thought he was actually going to kill me back there."

"Well, you did kind of stabbed his hand and tried to blow him up back there. I would be surprised if he wasn't mad at you." Blake commented as she examined Weiss's wounds and ussured Yang to bring a medical kit. "Anyway, I think you should visit the medical bay, Your wounds aren't that severe, but better safe than sorry."

"Grrrr!" Ruby growled as she stared at the door where Dynos exited.. "Still, that's no way to treat someone that's on the same team as you!" Pausing to think, she added, "I'm going to talk to him! He needs to know that it's not right to hurt your friends!" and hurried off to talk to Dynos, leaving the others to take care of Weiss.

"You think she'll be able to actually to pull a conversation with him?" Yang asked as she wrapped Weiss's wounds with bandages. "He's as quiet as a mouse."

"Please, this is Ruby we're talking about," Weiss replied as she watched Ruby off. Ì`ve never met someone who could ignore a hyperactive, weapon loving, cute-looking, talkative and chibi turning teenage girl. Plus, she'll probably do whatever it takes to talk with him."

"Yeah, that sounds just like Ruby alright," Blake chuckled as she helped Weiss up. "Anyway, let's take you over to the medical bay." Nodding to Yang, the two helped Weiss stand as they all exited the Amphitheater.

A few minutes later, Professor Ozpin entered the room with a cup of coffee, curiously looking around the Amphitheatre. Sipping the cup, Ozpin remarked, "...Well, that was quite interesting. I wonder what to expect of him next? "

**End of Chapter 2...**

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys. Pyrothemusical here again. I would like to first say that I'm sorry that chapter 2 came a bit late. I had….other things that I had to take care of, so we'll leave it at that. Again, I'm sorry it took this long and hope that you guys can forgive me.<em>

_Besides that, chapter 3 might take a bit longer to upload as my summer school summatives and exam are coming up, so I'll barely have time to type this. Thus, you can expect chapter 3 to be uploaded around the end of July._

_Also, 1 more week and RWBY season 2 will start premiering! (SO EXCITED!) Anyways, that's all for now, so as always, leave your comments by clicking the review button._

_See you guys later,_

_**Pyrothemusical.**_


	4. Chapter 3: A conversation pulled off

**Something to FEAR about **

Chapter 3: A conversation pulled off

"...The wind… It feels so good when it blows through my hair…What do you think, Dynos?"

"..."

"You still giving me the cold shoulder? Heh, c'mon! Don't be like that, Dynos!"

"...How can you still be happy after what just happened? Are you not afraid of what may happen to your life?"

"...I actually don't know. Sometimes I wish that things didn't have to end like this, but I am grateful or one thing."

"...What is that?"

"I'm glad that I can spend everyday of my life with you, silly! You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with!"

"...Shut up…"

* * *

><p>"That jerk! If he thinks that's how he can treat his friends, I need to talk to him now!"<p>

Muttering to herself, Ruby quickly hurried towards the end of the corridor, leading to the entrance of the balcony. She glanced around as she tried to find any trace of Dynos. However, she couldn't figure out which way he went, as there wasn't any evidence on which way they went, continuing the cycle as she had just searched the entire school for him. Sighing, Ruby thought to herself _This is going to be impossible to find him! No matter where I look, he isn't there! Maybe I should wait tomorrow to chew him-_

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a crackling noise directly above her. Glancing up, she noticed a figure in a hood, similar to the appearance of Dynos, standing on the roof. Eyes flashing with sudden hope, she sprinted towards the roof using her semblance to arrive there in a flash. In a few seconds, she arrived there, pushing the door of the exit towards the roof with a slam and yelling, "Dynos! We need to have a little ta-"

However, she stopped her sentence as the figure in front of her was not Dynos, but another figure. Ruby could tell as this figure was wearing a black cloak, opposite of what Dynos was wearing: a grey cloak. Also, the figure was apparently smoking a cigarette, tipping the ashes on the cement bricks. Glancing towards Ruby for her sudden outburst, the stranger continued to smoke the cigarette as he remained silent.

"O-Oh!" Ruby exclaimed in surprise. "S-Sorry for interrupting your-um-business!...I'll leave right now!"

"Wait!" the stranger exclaimed in a heavy, male french accent as Ruby was preparing to leave the roof.

Turning towards the stranger, Ruby asked, "Y-Yes?"

"...You are looking for Dynos Felder, yes?"

"Oh! Do you know where he is? I'm looking for him right now!"

"Hmm..." The stranger's hood turned towards the open sky, deep in thought. "...He seems to be walking towards an office...He seems to be in anger….Is he in pain? I wonder how that could have happened…." Sighing, the stranger nodded as he turned to the now bewildered Ruby

"H-How did you know that?!" Ruby asked, still in awe.

Tapping his forehead, the figure added, "...That is something I will reveal another time. For now, Dynos seems to be heading towards the office of someone named 'Goodwitch'. Do you know someone who is named like that?"

"Oh! Yeah, that really helps a lot! Thanks, stranger!" Ruby bowed in thanks as she dashed towards the door. As soon as she left, the stranger sighed and thought _Well, this is your partner, Dynos? Hmph...c'est très intéressant…_

* * *

><p>5 minutes later, Ruby found herself in front of Professor Goodwitch's office, waiting anxiously for Dynos to exit from the office. Glancing at her the clock, which was now pointing towards 11 o'clock, Ruby's patience finally grew thin and decided to peer through the keyhole of Professor Goodwitch's door. The only figures that Ruby could make of were Miss Goodwitch and Dynos, one talking to the other. As she concentrated on the two, she could faintly hear the conversation the two were having.<p>

"...I would assure you that no such thing is possible,, young man." Miss Goodwitch said as she shook her head in disbelief. "Do you honestly think that something like this can be possible, Mr. Felder?"

"...I am 100% sure that **they** are planning something like this, Ms. Goodwitch." Dynos replied quietly back as he rubbed his left hand subconsciously. "However, I need more time to gather more information, thus I ask for the permission to leave the campus after sunset. Is that okay, professor Goodwitch?"

"...Permission granted…" Ms. Goodwitch sighed as she took off her glasses and clutched the bridge of her nose. "I'll see to the request of an airship to transport you to downtown Vale and-"

"There is no need for that, Ms. Goodwitch as I have my own means of transportation. Therefore, I do not require the use of aircraft to reach downtown Vale."

Blinking in surprise, Ms. Goodwitch regained her composure, "And what do you mean by this, Mr. Felder? I am afraid I can not comprehend the fact that downtown Vale is approximately around 2500 miles away from Beacon Academy and you will not need the use of the fastest way of transportation."

"...That is confined information, Ms. Goodwitch, something I am not able tell you at the time being." Sighing, he bowed and started walking towards the door before saying, "Thank you for your time, Ms. Goodwitch." Staring at the figure walking slowly towards the exit, Ms. Goodwitch sighed and continued writing the paperwork she was currently working on.

Standing outside of Ms. Goodwitch's office, Dynos placed his left hand upon his face, as if in deep concentration. Bringing his hand down, he started walking towards the end of the hallway, right where Ruby was hiding. Just as Dynos was about to exit from Ms. Goodwitch's office, Ruby managed to quickly hide before Dynos could have spotted her. Unfortunately, it seemed like Dynos would be able to catch her and probably question her why she was there in the first place.

_Please, please turn left instead of right!_ Ruby thought as Dynos was nearing her hiding spot, almost within eye point where anyone could be able to see her. Her worry was extinguished when Dynos followed her wish and proceeded to turn left, walking towards the direction of the stairs. Sighing in relief, Ruby stood up to stretch from sitting down for so long and started walking the opposite direction that Dynos was heading.

"...Stop right where you are…"

The sheer words made Ruby freeze like a statue as she hesitantly turned around, an innocent smile upon her face while beads of sweat started to form. As if by magic, Dynos suddenly appeared right behind her, hands within his cloak and his hood looking down towards her. Gulping at the sheer appearance of Dynos, Ruby replied, "H-Hi, Dynos."

"...How long were you listening to our conversation?"

Shaking in fear, Ruby quickly answered back, "I-I didn't hear anything, I sw-"

Immediately, a small blade was produced from Dynos's cloak sleeve and was flung by Dynos himself, missing Ruby's hair by an inch and striking itself into the wall, producing a crack on the wall. "...I'll ask again. How long were you listening to our conversation? I won't miss the next shot."

Ruby's breath was cut short as she subconsciously touched the lock of her hair as Dynos slowly approached Ruby. "O-Okay! I kind of heard you and Ms. Goodwitch talking about something that was impossible. B-But that was all I heard, I swear!"

Silence followed Ruby's confession as Dynos remained silent. As time slowly passed like it froze by itself, Dynos finally answered, "I believe you. Now, was there something else that you would like to discuss with me?'

Blinking in realization, Ruby's facial expression changed from worry to anger as she crossed her arms. "I really didn't appreciate the way how you fought Weiss during the match. You could have almost killed her!"

"So, you accuse me of having a harsh fight, but ignore the act that Weiss was also trying her hardest to kill me while we were fighting?"

Annoyance crossed her face this time as Ruby retaliated, "Weiss would never do that! Sure, she can be a bit bossy and harsh, but she would never kill anyone!"

"...I have experienced many fights before, Ruby. For what I have learned, not one person was fighting for what you would call 'fun'. They would be fighting for their lives, trying to kill their opponents with all their might. Now, you expect me to believe that there is one human being that does not fight to survive, one that would allow his or her enemy to survive?"

"W-Well, um, I-I mean…" Ruby struggled for an answer that would answer Dynos's question. "Well, the point is that you can't treat your teammate like she's your enemy, Dynos! Even if you guys are fighting, you can't have the urge to harm the ones that are close to you!"

"...Who said that we were defined as 'close'? I consider those that are strong enough to rival me and reflect what you may call 'personal traits' as my comrades; something that I will never consider those of team RWBY to be."

Ruby stood open-mouthed at the insult that was directed to not only her, but Weiss, Yang, and Blake. Shaking with anger, Ruby transformed her hand into a fist as she yelled, "How does that make you any different, huh?! How can you be someone so cruel who denies anyone who wants to be your friend!?"

A moment of silence followed as Dynos remained silent while Ruby was huffing with anger. Eventually, Dynos asked, "...Ruby, do you know about the story of Jack Frost?"

Blinking in surprise at the sudden question, Ruby hastily answered, "N-No, but so what? That doesn't have to do with any-"

"It has much connection to the situation we are currently talking about, so I advise you to listen," Dynos spoke with an emotionless yet menacing tone that silenced Ruby immediately. Noting that she would finally stop talking and start listening, Dynos continued, "In a world far, far away, there was a spirit known as Jack Frost. He was a cheerful spirit, one who would always enjoy the company of others. However, his happiness gradually subsided as he soon realised that the world was empty with no one to become his friend, for his appearance caused others to discriminate him. Living like this for thousands of years and crying in sadness, he prayed to the gods for a friend that would treat him as an equal. Hearing the prayers of Jack Frost, the gods sent him a friend to accompany him. The two immediately became great friends, each enjoying each other's presence and eventually forming a special bond with each other as the new friend was a female spirit." Dynos paused in the middle of the story, looking down at his arm as if remembering something important. Ruby noticed this and was about to ask him what was wrong when Dynos continued the story, "However, other people became disgusted that this "monster" had an accomplice and feared that the two would team up together to destroy them. Therefore, the humans staged a trap to kill the two together, ensuring their own safety in the process. As the pair fought with all their strength to survive, the two realised that it would be impossible to win. As they finally fell from exhaustion, the female spirit knocked Jack Frost out cold, hid him away in a safe, secret place, and sacrificed herself to save him. When Jack Frost realised this, his anger grew as he was determined to hunt down the ones that had taken her away from him. A few days later, Jack Frost had achieved his goal of killing those exact same people, yet he was crying, not because of sadness or happiness, but of anger as he blamed himself for the death of his only friend that did not judge him by his appearance, but of his heart." Pausing once more, Dynos looked at Ruby before asking her, "Do you now understand why this story corresponds with me so well?"

Speechless, Ruby struggled with an answer as Dynos observed what she would come up with. Eventually, Ruby responded, "I-I guess so. B-But that doesn't mean you should reject everyone that accepts you as a friend!"

Shaking his head in disappointment, Dynos turned and started walking towards the stairways, not before turning around and pointing his gaze at Ruby. "...If you can not realize the reason why, your role as the leader of team RWBY will soon become pointless, so I would take heed if I were you. I have seen people lose the ones close to them as a result; it may happen to you as well."

The harsh and cold words hit Ruby right in the face as she slowly backed away from Dynos; evident signs of hurt were shown on her face as she tried to bite back the tears that were slowly arising from her eyes. Dynos finally turned around and descended down the staircase, not taking a glimpse back at the now fallen figure. The only sound that could be heard was the echoes of footsteps and the weeping sobs of a girl`s confidence completely shattered.

* * *

><p>Beacon Academy. Medical center Hospital.

"There. That should be all for now, Ms. Schnee. However, I would like to recommend that you should prevent yourself from pushing yourself to your limits. It is very dangerous and I wish not to see you in this state once more."

"Thank you for your concerns, Doctor," Weiss responded as she stood up with the assistance of her two friends. "However, you need not to worry for my welfare, I will be more careful in the future."

"Very well, Ms. Schnee, I wish you luck in the near future." With that, the doctor departed the group as she exited the room. Yang yawned as Blake retrieved Myrtenaster from the table beside the medical bed. "You feeling okay, Weiss?"

"Yeah, I think so," Weiss responded as she steadied herself against a chair to maintain her balance as she was still feeling woozy. "Shouldn't the little dolt be back yet?"

Frowning at the nickname Weiss had picked for her little sister, Yang responded with, "Stop calling my sister that! Anyway, Ruby should be riiiigggght about…."

However, she was interrupted as the door of the medical room opened, revealing Ruby standing at the doorway.

"Well, speak of the devil!" Yang smiled as her sister walked over and sat on the bed. "Hey Ruby! So, how did your little talk with Dynos go?"

Ruby did not answer to her remark. Instead, she remained silent, something that was strange as she was the most loudest and hyper of the four.

"Um, Ruby?" Weiss asked with a concerned look on her face, for she knew her partner extremely well and automatically noticed something was off. "Is something...wrong?'

Silence. Finally, Ruby responded, "W-well, I managed to find Dynos and talk to him, but he seemed really….weird. A-and, he told me a st-story of someone who lost someone close to him and sa-sa-" At this, Ruby burst into tears in front of the others, sobbing while bringing her head down. Alarmed, Yang immediately sat next to her and asked, "Ruby! What's wrong!? What did he say?"

Gulping for air, Ruby struggled to finish her story, "W-well, he said th-that...I was a really bad leader and I was going to lose everyone close to me. Not only that, but he said we will never be concerned as comrades."

"WHAT!?" Yang screamed as Blake covered her ears in agony for her hearing was the most superior of them all, therefore resulting in her being the most affected by the sudden outburst.

"Y-Yeah...that's what he said," Ruby quietly replied back while trying hard not to burst into tears once again. Noticing this, Yang quickly pulled her into a hug as the room fell silent from the sudden news.

"To think he has gone this far into insulting our own team," Blake shook her head in disappointment while Weiss clutched her head in annoyance.

"See what I told you people before?! We shouldn't have let this guy into our team! He's giving us this much trouble outside of combat!"

"For once, I agree with Weiss…" Yang mumbled darkly as she stroked Ruby's hair, now full with tears. "I can't deal with this anymore, he has to go."

"W-well, what can we do, Yang?" Ruby asked while Blake handed back Myrtenaster to Weiss. Separating herself from Yang's grasp and wiping the tears away from her eyes, she added, "Ozpin was the one to allow Dynos into Beacon, I doubt you'll be able to change his mind of kicking him out of team RWBY."

"I don't care what I have to do! If this is how he treats my little sister and her friends, I'll do anything to kick him off the team!"

"Um….Yang?" Ruby suddenly asked as she stared with her eyes wide open.

"I mean, he has to be some kind of monster to say that, like not even considering the feelings of his own team members. What are we, strangers to him?"

"Er...Yang?" Blake added as she tried to grab ahold of Yang's attention.

"Well, hope his schedule isn't busy, cause the first thing tomorrow, I'm challenging him to a duel and **He. Is. Going. To. Get. His. Butt. Kicked. Hard!**"

'YANG!' Weiss yelled, finally succeeding in grabbing her attention.

"What?" Yang asked as her mini-rant finally ended.

"...Turn around"

"Turn around? Wait why would I do th-" Realization hitting her face, Yang added in a small voice, "...He's right behind me, isn't he?"

"Yyyyyyyeah, that sums it up just about right." Ruby finally answered, breaking up the awkward silence that filled up the room.

Sighing, Yang turned around only to meet with Dynos, who was completely still and quiet as a statue. Noticing that he was waiting her to ask the particular question everyone currently had in their mind, Yang asked, "How much did you hear?"

"Starting from the point of which Ruby described the past events of our little 'rant' with each other to all of you." Dynos brushed past Yang as if searching for something, only to be pulled back by the cloak by Yang. Hard.

"Listen, I like guys who are very strong, guys who tend to be quiet and guys who are very serious. But, if the guy who is supposedly called 'our teammate' harms or insults my little sister, I will personally **END** them." Yang put much emphasis onto the word 'end', giving Dynos a ferocious glare as if she would immediately punch him straight out of the medical ward.

A few seconds of silence remained in the room as each member of team RWBY waited for Dynos's answer. Finally, Dynos responded, "...You care very much for Ruby, don't you, Yang?"

Completely caught off guard by this remark, Yang stuttered, "Um…yeah. She's my younger sister, remember? I would give my life to keep her safe. Not only for them, but for Weiss and Blake too. They're my team, so I have to protect them as well."

"...Even though they are not blood related to you, you still protect them...Interesting."

Another moment of silence. Dynos remained in his current state as if thinking of Yang's words while the others observed him. Curious and worried of his silence, Yang softly asked, "Hey, you okay?"

"...Yes, I am," Dynos responded while proceeding to once again examine him hand. Pausing for a second, he added, "I see that the bond that you and Ruby share is quite strong. Thus, I apologize for my past insults and ask for your forgiveness." With that, Dynos closed his hand and kneeled down in front of Yang.

"Uh….." Yang looked at the others helplessly for they too were shocked by Dynos's quick apology. Looking down at the bowing figure, Yang asked, "Um, why are you apologizing? I thought you would at least put up an argument of how we were not considered as your partners."

"If you share a strong bond with others, that is also something I consider valued within those that I can trust on the battlefield. For that, I believe that I will be able to work with team RWBY."

Team RWBY looked at each other, then at Dynos. Finally, Yang broke the silence, "Okay, we forgive you. Right guys?"

Her response was met with nods and a few 'yeah's' as Dynos rose to stand. However, before being able to walk, Yang placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "You know, I still want a chance to fight you, right?"

"...A death match or a friendly spar?"

"Wh-Of course a friendly spar! I wouldn't kill you…..maybe."

"...Very well," Dynos agreed as he passed Yang before mentioning, "I believe we will have dueling class with Ms. Goodwitch tomorrow. Hopefully, there will be an occasion to fight then. Now if you excuse me, there is a matter that I must deal with."

"Okeedokee!" Yang gleefully cheered as Ruby grinned as the atmosphere of the room brightened up. Even Blake and Weiss were smiling at the new friendship they had formed with Dynos. "By the way, why did you even come here in the first place?"

"...I was passing here to retrieve an object when I heard your conversation. Also, forgive me for eavesdropping, but I believe that I was described as a 'monster', am I correct?"

All eyes were glaring at Yang now, who merely said, "What? I thought that he was being mean to Ruby, that's all. It's not like he's an **actual** monster, right?"

"Do not blame her for her choice of words," Dynos added, causing the others to cast curious looks upon him. "...This has not been the first time I have been called by this name…"

The room went silent after the last comment until Ruby piped up. "Um, Dynos? Do you want to like, hang out with us while we go shopping this atermoon? We don't mind you coming with us."

"...No. I apologize, but I have other matters to deal with. If you excuse me, I will be needing to take my leave…"

Dynos brushed his cloak once again as he prepared to exit the room. Before exiting the room though, he added while facing the door, "Also, please do not be concerned about my whereabouts after dinner. I have asked the permission of Ms. Goodwitch to remain outside of Beacon's boundaries after dinner." And with that, he finally exited through the door, leaving the group behind to deal with their own matters.

"Sooooooo, what do ya guys think of him now?" Yang asked as she leaned over the medical bed.

"He's…an interesting guy," Blake answered back. "Still, I wish we could know more about of him. He's a mystery to us." When she said 'mystery', there was a sparkle in her eyes, something Yang noticed and slyly grinned at.

"Aww! Does the little kitten have a crush on someone?"

"Yang!" Weiss snapped as Blake had a light brush on her face. "Don't be mean to Blake!"

"Jeez," Yang grumbled as she frowned a little. "I was just kidding, ya know."

"Well, I guess we should start preparing for our trip to downtown Beacon, huh?" Ruby asked as she jumped off the medical bed.

"Right, shopping," Weiss muttered darkly as she clutched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Remind me how you guys convinced me into coming with you?"

"Well, it was either that or have Yang splash paint on all of your white blouses," Blake whispered back to Weiss. "And if I were you, I would go with option one, since we all know how Yang can be sometimes."

Looking at the blonde figure now who was currently jabbering with Ruby about their plans of doing a huge shopping spree across Beacon downtown, Weiss mentally slapped herself on the forehead before saying, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"So, we're ready to go?" Ruby asked while wearing a huge grin upon her face. Receiving multiple nods and agreements with her question, she shook with excitement. "Well, let's go!"

**End of Chapter 3…**

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys, Pyrothemusical here. Finally, summer school is over and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now, I <em>_**actually**_ _have a time to relax and work on the story before school starts. (In around 1 month)_

_Also, Season 2, episode 1 of RWBY came out on Thursday. To describe how I felt after watching the entire episode, I would like to describe it in a comparison._

_This is my brain before watching RWBY: _**O**

_This is my brain after watching RWBY: _0

…_..It is very sad…_

_Besides that, not much has changed in chapter three, though I do need to bring up a few points. First, I know there wasn't a lot of fighting in this one and there was a lot of dialogue, but I want to give more background and characteristics of Dynos. I mean, at the start of the story he was a complete mystery to everyone because nobody could understand him. Now, they're at least able to communicate with him and learn a few things from him. Don't worry though, the next chapter will be __**bloody as hell**__._

_Second, if you have paid attention, (and didn't bother skipping through the whole story,) there is a little reference to a certain game known as Persona 4 golden. I truly hope that people will get this reference and if you do, review to me so I will be able to clarify which readers have actually experienced the Persona series. (if you don't know it, go to Superjeenius's channel on Youtube, he has an entire lets play on Persona 4 golden)_

_Well, that's all for today guys. As always, if you have any questions or comments, hit that review button and drop whatever you wish to ask/comment; good or bad. See you soon and have a nice day._

_- Pyrothemusical_


	5. Chapter 4: Let the blood rain upon you

_Okay, so before I start this chapter, I want to pull a few things out of my agenda. I also have a few words to say that I feel I need to address:_

** .SO.F# $ .**

_Honestly, there should have been no excuse for myself to be lazy and not upload this chapter on time. I regret to disappoint those who have been wanting to read this chapter, so here you are. Also, the other causes for the lateness of this chapter is a one week vacation to the U.S. and a piano exam which I have just finished. So, that's done, and there's still a bit of time before school starts, so I hope I can get this and Chapter 5 up and ready._

_Another thing I would like to do is thank all those who have been reading the story so far. I've just recently reached more than 1,000 views, so it's a good start for now. Also, thanks for everyone who reviewed the last chapter, so I would like to answer some of them right now:_

_**ShadowSolaris29**__: Thanks for showing your opinion on pointing to background more than fighting scenes. I'll try to balance the two in the future. Also, I really like your definition of a monster: something defined by oneself by a reason or a purpose. _

_**Lord Revan Flame**__: Thanks for the comment! I really hope you'll like the future chapters as well!_

_**Guest**__: This is something I actually wanted to point out last chapter. To those who thought Dynos may have acquainted team RWBY a bit too fast, let me remind you: what Dynos said is that he acknowledges Yang's bond with Ruby as a sister and Blake and Weiss as a teammate, something he looks for in someone that will help him fight in battles. Also, it will be shown in this chapter why Dynos likes team RWBY._

_Alright, enough rambling. Here's chapter 4. Hope you enjoy it and remember, if you like it, hate it, review. I am always glad to hear your opinion on the story._

_- Pyrothemusical_

* * *

><p><strong>Something to FEAR about<strong>

Chapter 4: Let the blood rain upon you

"...What does **FEAR** turn you into?...In reality, no one knows the true answer. Some turn into complete, utter maniacs who have lost all humanity within themselves. Others face this **FEAR** with their own courage and succeed upon their victory, inheriting a new power or knowledge from their **FEAR**. What do I think?...Nothing. The reason: **I AM FEAR ITSELF**."

* * *

><p>"...It's time..."<p>

Dynos closed his watch and watched the scenery of downtown Vale. It was currently 9:00 pm and the streets were thinning out, crowds dispersing among the busy streets and shops starting to close down for a busy day awaited them the following day. Standing up, Dynos looked around to see if anyone curious was watching him before leaping down onto the streets, hiding himself within the shadows.

_...Good. No one's watching right now. This will be much easier._ These thoughts proceeded through Dynos's mind before sprinting through the alleyways between various buildings. He continued running, jumping over fences and garbage cans while making no noise in the progress. Finally, he stopped at a certain night club, one that was blazing with multiple lights and incredibly loud music. Inside, various voices and cheers of laughter were heard as Dynos approached the club's main entrance. Pausing for a second before entering, he took a deep breath and walked inside.

Flashing lights.

That was all that could be described within the nightclub. Multiple coloured and white lights flashed and spun around as the music continued to play, giving a cheery and joyful atmosphere. Everywhere Dynos looked, colours of red, white and black blazed around him. A dance floor remained within the center of the nightclub as multiple people were dancing, laughing and chatting to the loud music that echoed throughout the club. Looking closer, Dynos could see the bar area where a bartender was serving drinks to various customers. After waiting for a few seconds, it seemed like one of the drinkers left their seats, giving an opportunity for Dynos to sit down at the stool.

"Hey kid," The bartender greeted as Dynos sat on one of the bar chairs. "What can I get for ya?"

"..." Dynos simply pointed to the ice tea that was shown behind the bartender. Nodding at his request, the bartender proceeded in filling his order while mentioning, "Hey, aren't you a bit young to be drinking in a club?'

Again, Dynos remained silent as the bartender walked with his order and proceeded to give it to him. Nodding in thanks, Dynos drank the ice tea in a simple, quick gulp before flashing out his wallet and gave the bartender the bill for the drink.

"Thanks, kid," the bartender smiled as Dynos nodded in response. "Well, feel free to hang around here. We don't close unti-"

"I wish to speak with the owner of the nightclub," Dynos spoke in a low voice, making it so only the bartender could hear his words. "I have important matter to deal with him."

At this, the bartender froze at the sentence Dynos had just said. Frantically looking around him, he leaned over the counter and asked in a gruff voice, friendly matter vanished, "You the one the boss keeps talking about?"

Nodding, Dynos proceeded in handing a note to the bartender. After reading it for a few seconds, the bartender turned around to call his buddy. "Greg will escort you to Junior. Just...try not to piss him off."

Bowing in thanks, Dynos walked along with the man known as 'Greg' towards the back of the club. Bringing the keys out and unlocking the door, they continued to walk to the end of hallway until they reached a red door with the name 'Junior' engraved into it. Lifting a finger to indicate that Dynos had to wait outside, Greg knocked on the door. After a shout that was faintly heard as "Come in!", Greg entered the room, leaving Dynos to wait outside. Not before a few minutes, Greg returned while closing the door behind him.

"The boss is waiting for you inside," Greg informed Dynos as he started walking back to the front of the nightclub. "Go right ahead. He's expecting you anyway."

Nodding, Dynos brought his wrist out when the man left, revealing a hidden blade concealed along the cloak sleeve. Checking the mechanism, he lowered his arm and pushed the door open, entering in the progress.

* * *

><p>Dynos looked around to observe the scenery around his as he opened the door of the private room. It had a fancy background within it; multiple chairs were spread across the room joined together with expensive tables, different room accessories such as potted plants and vases were located upon the tables, and chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling. Located in the center of the room, 3 figures were sitting together, one dressed in a suit while the others were wearing dresses.<p>

"Oh! Dynos, you came!" "See, I told you he was coming!"

Dynos turned towards the direction of the voices to see Melanie Malachite along with her twin sister, Miltiades Malachite as both were waving at his direction. Bowing in greeting, both giggled and produced a slight blush at the well gestured-politeness Dynos had within him. They were both wearing their signature dresses: Melanie wearing here snow white dress as Miltiades was wearing her crimson red dress while having white and red feathers within their hair. Along with their outfits, they had their weapons equipped with them: Miltiades's claws connecting with her knuckles and Melanie's bladed heels that were attached to her legs.

"Ha ha. Come on girls, give the guy his space."

Finally turning towards the last figure, Dynos produced a hand of greeting while mumbling, "...Thank you for your acquaintance tonight….Junior."

Chuckling, Junior nodded as he too shook Dynos's hand. Wearing a white dress shirt with a black vest over the top, a red tie, black gloves, and black dress pants, the owner of the nightclub grinned at his old business partner as the two have had a rather huge history together: Dynos paying Junior to locate information on various things, Junior granting him access to the most useful information possible. The two had even talked about more personal issues outside business such as the welfare of their own safety and upcoming plans of renovating the nightclub into something….fancier.

"It's my pleasure to do business with you, Dynos." Junior responded as they both sat down. "Now, what can I do for ya?"

"...You know why I'm here, Junior…." Dynos folded his arms, indicating that this was no laughing matter. "I need updates of the information on what I have already asked for: **Project Machination**."

Sighing, Junior leveled his gaze at the twins who were watching the conversation. Waving his hand to indicate that they had to leave the room, they nodded and quietly exited the private room, slowly closing the door behind them. The two figures stared at each other; Junior holding a serious expression upon his face while Dynos's expression was hidden among the shadows of his hood. Finally, Junior shook his head, "Look, I know you're still waiting for results and info on the matter, but ya gotta understand, Dynos. Even with my branch of underground spies and agents, their information is secure to the tightest security, hidden away with lock and key shut. It's going to take some time for me to give you more info on the subject."

Dynos remained silent at the response as time passed on. Eventually, he nodded while answering back, "...I see." Taking a deep breath, Dynos brought his hand forward towards his face and gazed upon it. After staring at it for a few seconds, he returned his gaze at Junior, "I was expecting more information, but this has not been a huge waste of time. Anyway, thank you for your time, Junior. I truly appreciate your effort of helping me in dealing with this problem."

Chuckling at his appreciation, Junior leaned forward and put a hand on Dynos's shoulder, "Hey, it's nothing. Really. We've been in this for about 3 years, right? It's always been a pleasure working with you."

Dynos nodded and leaned back, arms crossed against his chest once more. "How are the girls? It has been awhile since I have last seen them. They have grown up a lot."

"Well, those two are practically like my daughters, right?" Junior replied. "Anyway, those two have been training like crazy ever since they lost to...well, you know who I'm talking about." Flinching in pain at the sudden memory, he continued, "Well, things haven't changed a lot here. Business is still blooming and customers are happy like always."

"That's good to hear," Dynos acknowledged. However, he was suddenly glancing around the room as if searching for something. Noticing this, Junior asked, "Hey, is something wro-"

Leaping out of his chair, Dynos pushed Junior out of the way as a huge explosion destroyed the wall behind them, causing an ear-piercing sound to cross the room. After the dust settled, three men were climbing through the hole, brushing the debris off their jackets. One had a huge rifle cannon strapped to his arm with the barrel pointed to the wall. The other two were holding swords in their hands, pointing them at Dynos and Junior.

"...And you are?"

"It's none of your concern, bub! For all we know, there's a huge reward for whoever kills you, so we decided to pay you a visit! Come on out, boys!"

Immediately, numerous men with various weapons poured through the hole in the wall, jumping and landing on the ground, sneering at their target. As the group of men finally grouped together, the apparent leader of the group stepped forward and announced, "You know, if you turn yourself in, we don't have to go through any unnecessary deaths. Like, for example, two twins perhaps?"

Junior's attention was immediately caught as he heard this for anger and fear was combined in his question. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM?"

Smirking, the leader replied casually as he took a cigarette out of his pocket, "Ah, don't worry. They put up a very valiant fight, but it was useless. Nevertheless, unless your so called 'friend' surrenders his life to us, the twins will die."

"You bastards!" Junior roared as begun to charge at the group before being stopped by Dynos. "Calm yourself, Junior…"

Dynos then turned to the group of men. "...If you present the girls to me right away, do you promise that you will leave the others alone if I come with you?"

The leader grinned, "Well, we might do it….buuuuuut no guarantees…"

"...Very well...Present them to me now."

Snapping his fingers, 2 of the many henchman brought the twins out and dumped them on the ground in front of Dynos. They were unconscious and injured, bleeding in numerous areas with bruises covering their body. As he hurried over to check on them, Junior suddenly noticed the leader raising his hand as the others brought their firearms out. Understanding what was going to happened, Junior warned Dynos, "Dynos, it's a trap!"

However, his warning came too late for when Dynos raised his head, the leader yelled, "**FIRE!**"

The result was devastating as all the men started firing at where Dynos was kneeling down. The leader grinned evilly as he laughed at how easy it was going to kill the target, when his laughter was short lived when Dynos reappeared near Junior, unharmed without any sign of damage while carrying both twins in bridal style.

"...Junior…..Take care of the girls….This will be messy…"

Blinking in realization at Dynos's command, Junior slowly nodded as he carried the unconscious girls towards the side of the room. Taking a deep breath, Dynos turned towards the group of men who immediately stood at attention as their target was focused upon them. Slowly, Dynos brought his left hand towards his sword and said, "...I consider myself as a calm person with no high temper...There are few things that make me angry...But…" Dynos's gaze suddenly turned towards the injured and bruised twins who were starting to wake up. "...To attack someone close to me just so the person can gain their own greedy needs...That. is. **unacceptable**."

As soon as Dynos finished his last sentence, all the men flinched as if they had experienced a chill within their bodies. He again turned his gaze at the group of men while drawing out his sword. As if by magic, the sword was then covered by a dark, shadowy aura that surrounded the entire blade; it casted an evil presence upon the sword while Dynos wielded the weapon, pointing the sword at the group of men. After a period of silence, one of the men finally spoke, "W-well, you think you can defeat all of us!" The group of men suddenly roared in agreement as Dynos continued to observe. "We outnumber you 30 to 1! There's no way you'll sur-"

However, he never got to finish his sentence as Dynos shot a hidden blade upon his wrist, striking the speaker in the throat, killing him instantly. Blood started to gush out of his mouth from the wound of his throat. This also caused the man's corpse to be pushed back until it reached the club's wall, pinning him against it like a pianta. All eyes were turned towards the now deceased and non-existent man, then to Dynos as he stated, "...Now, let the execution begin…I will not hesitate to slice all of you down..."

Roaring with fury, the now furiated group of men charged at Dynos, weapons at the side that were currently striking at Dynos. Without any warning or any hesitation, Dynos suddenly appeared behind the group of men, dodging their swings while bringing his sword upon the back of the group. What happened next could be described as a whirlwind of slashes; Dynos was swinging his sword widely around him as it annihilated the men surrounding him. Bodies and corpses soon started to appear on the battlefield as Dynos showed no mercy towards his enemy; body parts were flung around and splatters of blood soon covered Dynos's grey cloak. After a few minutes of the fight, it was evident: what the men were expecting was the complete opposite of what they were prepared for. Dynos was not only skillful and powerful, he was a complete monster. Not even bashing an eyebrow towards his enemies nor showing any guilt in killing the men; Dynos was focused on obliterating his enemies by eliminating their lives, one by one. Eventually, only 5 of the men remained, weapons shuddering and pointed at the teenager as they had just watched their comrades become prey for Dynos.

"Wh-what do we do, boss?" One of the men asked the largest one of the group. Dynos immediately turned his head to look at the spoken men who flinched upon his gaze.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK, IDIOT!?" The so called 'leader' yelled at the speaker as he produced a remote from his coat. It had a big red button with a huge label reading "**ONLY FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES!**" Clicking the button, he smirked, "I admit, you're strong. But let's see how you handle this bloody monster!"

As soon as the button was clicked, heavy footsteps could be heard outside of the room in the distance as they started to approach the battle scene. Dynos immediately stood in a battle stance as he drew his sword out with both hands. While the footsteps increased their heavy pacing, the leader laughed maniacally, yelling, "Now it's time to experience true fear, bastard!'

Suddenly, a huge robotic hand punched it's way through the wall near Dynos, causing an explosion of debris to shower upon him. Dodging out of the way, Dynos regained his mobility as he identified the attacker. It was a huge grey robotic cyborg with blades attached to the side of its arms and a long mechanised tail that swayed to and fro endlessly. Upon closer inspection, it contained a bright white and yellow coating that surrounded its entire body from head to toe, making it shine with energy and sparks of electricity.

"HA HA HA! Time for you to pay, little boy! Guardian titan, sick him!"

The guardian titan immediately responded by charging at Dynos at an incredible speed for his size, something that Dynos did not predict it would do. He managed to dodge the attack, but was still fazed by it, causing him to crash and fall onto the wall. Standing up, Dynos sprinted at the robotic titan, who responded by bringing its left fist at the teenager. This time, Dynos rolled under its arm as he took his sword and started to swing at its leg, hoping it would make the robot to lose its balance. However. not even that worked as the attack was intercepted by the mystic glow that immediately surrounded the area he was attacking, reducing the damage he would have dealt to the leg. The titan then proceeded to kick Dynos with its other leg, causing him to crash into the wall and producing a crack into the wall. This also caused Dynos to cough out a bit of blood as the impact did break one of his ribs.

_Dammit! _Dynos thought as he slowly got up to see the titan advance on him. _At this rate, I will die if I don`t destroy this thing quickly! Well, here we go…_

Taking a deep breath, Dynos brought his sword next to him and whispered, "...Burn through them all….Kurai homura..."

With those words spoken, a black flame started to spread along the blade, once again casting a shadowy aura that surrounded the blade and eventually, Dynos himself. The titan, noticing this, proceeded to change its left arm into a gatling gun and fired at mach speed towards Dynos's direction, only to have the bullets become completely disintegrated and destroyed by a flurry of Kurai homura's swings. Analyzing that firing would be futile and useless, the titan charged at Dynos, whom responded with the same action. The two sprinted at each other, then jumped and swung; Dynos swinging Kurai homura and the titan gathering the mystic aura protecting its body which produced an electrical fist. The result was a miniature explosion of energy as the two collided, making both opponents become forced back. Luckily, no one was hit in the blast radius, but they still had to close their eyes from the brightness. When it was okay to open their eyes again, the spectators saw that the titan was standing over Dynos, who was laying on the ground, and bringing its fist to smash him into the ground.

"NO!" Junior yelled as the robot swung down and punched the ground, creating a shockwave that surrounded the punched area.

"HA! HA! HA!" The group of men laughed as the robot straightened itself. The leader was clapping in joy as it turned around to face them. "Good job, guardian titan! Now, if you will, please obliterate the group over there." Pointing at Junior and the twins, he grinned evilly as he turned away from the wrecked room, not wasting his time to see the results. "Well, our job's done here, boys. Let's collect our bounty!"

No response.

Sighing in annoyance, the leader turned around and yelled, "Hey, you imbeciles! You coming or wha-"

He stopped talking as Dynos stood in front of him, sword pointed at his neck. Behind him, his henchmen laid in a pond of blood and the guardian titan was remaining in its last seen position. Sweating like crazy, the leader stuttered, "H-how are y-you still alive? That should have killed you!"

"...Electrical overheating….When your guardian titan was about to make its finishing blow, I managed to overheat its circuits by producing a heat wave that surrounded its fist….Because there was already a lot of electricity within your titan, it caused it to overheat, making its entire system to malfunction. The explosion you saw was not from the impact of the punch, but the effect of the overheating inside the machinery's circuits….Now then…." Dynos paused for a minute as the effects of his wounds started to occur while closing in on the man, frozen in place.

"...Who sent you after me…" Dynos was now an inch away from the man's face, breathing hard as he tried to regain his breath and recover from the annoying pain inside his ribs. Casting a sly smirk upon his face, the man retaliated, "H-Hah! You think that I'm just gonna confess to ya right- GAH!"

His sentence was interrupted as Dynos brought his hand towards the man's neck, choking the breath out of his throat. "...I have no intention of keeping you alive, but I will give you the most painful torture before you leave this world…"

Gasping for breath, the man struggled to regain his breath by clawing at Dynos's arm to release his grip. However, Dynos did not budge his arm; instead, he tightened his grip on the man's throat, making the man to start kicking his feet in desperation and jerking around in need for air. "Ack-ck..ALL RIGHT! I'LL TELL YOU!"

Nodding in satisfaction, Dynos slowly released his grip on the arm, but not enough to allow the man to move freely. ",,,Now, let me repeat myself.,,,Who sent you after me?"

"It-It was Ignacy! Walter Ignacy!"

Dynos's blood froze at the mention of the name. It couldn't be him, it just….couldn't be. "...You're lying." For the first time in awhile, anger arose within him and was evident in his voice. This also caused him to tighten his grip onto the man's throat, choking the life out of him.

"N-no! I'm telling you the truth! Ignacy's the head of Project Machination! He put a bounty on your head because you kept on causing interfering with their plans! We were interested, so he sent us lot the location and bloody ordered us to kill you!"

"...Hmmph….It seems you are telling the truth…."

The man nodded while shuddering in fear. "P-please, spare me! I-I told you what I know!"

Dynos slowly turned towards the man, bringing his hand towards his sword. "...Do you remember what I told your group at the beginning?" As the man cautiously shook his head in response, Dynos continued, "...At the beginning of the fight, I stated that I would not hesitate to cut all of you down…" Pausing once more, he leaned closer to the man's face who flinched at this action in fear, "...You come to hunt me down...You come to claim a greedy reward….You intend to harm those close to me so you may gain your own precious needs...So tell me, why should I spare you?'

And with that question asked, Dynos removed his hand and swung the blade across his neck, decapitating the man's head from his body and producing a splutter of blood across Dynos's cloak and the area around him. He released the beheaded corpse, causing it to fall into the pool of blood and disintegrate into shadowy, black flames.

_So….Ignacy, you wish to play dirty? _Dynos thought as he glared at the black flames that were desintegrating the decapitated corpse of the man. _Very well. I will put all my effort into making sure your head is the prize pike for my blade._ Turning around, he started heading towards Junior and the girls who were watching him in awe as another thought came to his mind. _If I were to fight alone, this will become a neverlasting cycle of violence and death. To ensure insanity and chaos will not follow after, I believe it is time to call the remainder of team __**FEAR**__._

* * *

><p>"...BBBBBLLLLLAAAAAAKKKKKKKEEEEE!"<p>

Taking a deep breath, Blake peered over the covers of her book where her partner was lying across her bed. "...What is it now, Yang?"

"I'm bored!"

"...I see…Do you wish me to do something about?"

Yang pouted at Blake's monotone answer as she rolled around to watch her teammate read her precious (yet somewhat lewd) book upside down. "Come on! You've been reading that book for HOURS! Can't you do something else, like, I don't know, talk with me or something?"

"...No thanks. I would more likely prefer to read my own novel." Yang glared at Blake's answer while muttering under her breath 'spoilsport'.

"Yang!" Weiss scowled across the room as she turned around from her work to face the blonde who was now rolling around in her blankets in boredom. "Leave her around, would you! Also, quiet down! I'm trying to focus on my work and I would like to complete it tonight without your whining and fussing!"

"Yes, mom!" Yang grinned back at Weiss playfully as she peered down at the lower bunk of the opposite bed. Noticing Ruby tinkering with something on her bed, Yang asked, "Say, whatcha working on sis?"

Realizing that Yang was watching her, Ruby quickly hid the object behind her and stuttered, "N-nothing! I'm not working on anything, honest!"

By now, everyone was watching Ruby in curiosity who was cowering in fear from all the attention she was receiving from her teammates. Holding a sly grin on her face, Yang jumped down from her bed and tried to look over Ruby's shoulder to see what she was hiding behind her back. "Come on, I saw you tinkering with something! So, why don't you share it with us?"

"I told you, I'm not hiding anything!" Ruby yelled in retaliation as she backed away towards the wall to separate the distance from Yang.

"Rrrrrright….." Yang smirked at Ruby's blush of embarrassment. "We totally believe you, right guys?" The only answers she got were a shrug from Blake and Weiss rolling her eyes at Yang's childish behaviour before turning back to her work. Sighing at the 'help' she got from her teammates, Yang turned her head towards Ruby and asked, "Hey, shouldn't Dynos be back by now? He did say he was coming back during nighttime."

Glad to change the subject, Ruby shrugged and yawned, "Well, maybe something came up and he's going to be a bit late. You should know all about it, right Yang?"

Yang crossed her arms and frowned. "Hey! I'm sorry, but showers take a long time, especially if you have stunningly long, beautiful hair like me." Flipping her hair in retaliation, Yang smirked as the others rolled their eyes and shook their heads at her boasting of the one to have 'the most beautiful hair'.

Suddenly, there was a trio of knocks on the door that interrupted the somewhat heated argument, making everyone jump in surprise. Grinning sheepishly, Yang stood and stretched, "Well, speak of the devil! Bet he's standing outside right now!"

Yang walked towards the door and opened the door, greeting whomever was standing outside. "Hey, Dynos! So where have you be-"

However, what used to be her cheery expression turned to complete horror and worry that was evident in her question, "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

The other three in the room quickly turned towards Dynos to see what was wrong. Dynos was standing before Yang and his appearance was a bit...bloody. No, scratch that. It looked like he had been to a battlefield. Blood stains covered his now dark red cloak as numerous slashes and burns appeared everywhere. His hands were bleeding and appeared to be sore from who knew what happened to him as he carried a bag over his shoulder. Finally, after a few seconds of stunned silence, Dynos eventually asked, "...Is something the matter?"

"I...Ah...Um…Well..." For once, Yang was speechless and was stuttering to find the right words to put together. Finally, Weiss spoke up, "I think what Yang is trying to say is, WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED TO YOU?"

Pausing for a moment, Dynos hesitated with his answer until he finally spoke, "...I had an….accident on the way back to Beacon Academy. I assure you, I am in fine condition with no critical injuries. All I require now is to use the restroom to clean myself off. Do I have permission to use it?"

Weiss narrowed her gaze as she cautiously watched him drop his bag on the chair. Dynos then opened it and took a few bandages and a brand new cloak inside the bag. After making sure that he had the necessary objects, Dynos turned around to face the still shocked girls and asked, "...May any of you point me towards the bathroom? I do not believe that it would be appropriate for me to dress my wounds...here."

Blushing at what he was implying, Ruby replied while twirling her fingers together, "Um...it's to your right. But, how are you not worried about your injuries with that much blood on your cloak?"

Dynos paused before opening the door to the bathroom. In his mind, two thoughts were battling inside it: To tell the truth or to lie. After a few seconds of thinking, he finally answered, "...Since you wish to know, I thought I should inform you that this…" he gestured to the blood on his cloak as he resumed his sentence, "...is not my blood….Nor is the blood that you will find on my blade." With that said, horror slowly dawned on team RWBY's faces as he entered the dorm's bathroom and locked the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Dynos released his breath as he locked the door behind him. It was not easy for him to confess the whole situation, so he split the argument in half; telling them not the complete truth, but not completely lying to his former comrades. Dynos put his head in his hands as he scowled at himself for acting so rashly at the club. If he had acted quicker, calmer and smarter, none of this would have happened. Sighing to himself, Dynos was about to wash up and tend to his wounds when he heard team RWBY's voices outside of the bathroom. Although he was not the one to eavesdrop, he was able catch onto several words such as "mistrust" and "murderer", all which quite frankly stinged a bit. Sighing once again, he stood up and proceeded to remove his grey cloak so he could tend his wounds with the bandages. While doing so, his minds was proceeding with multiple thoughts. <em>I can't blame them for calling me those names. After all...<em>A distinct clicking noise was heard as Dynos took off his hood to look at the mirror, revealing a single red bloody eye, _...It's what I've been called for many years…._

* * *

><p>Outside of the bathroom, team RWBY was arguing amongst themselves about the current...situation. They were all huddled together in a little group, shoulders joined together and backs hunched.<p>

"Well...what do you guys think of him now?" Yang casually asked after recovering over the huge shock.

"I don't know.." Blake pondered on the thought. "Even if his motives were justifiable, his actions do not prove it."

"D-do you think we should tell Prof. Ozpin about this?" Ruby asked while the others thought in silence.

"What do you think?!" Weiss snapped, causing everyone to jump at the frustration in her voice. "We have to tell Ozpin that we can't work with someone who thinks killing is a good thing! It disproves what a hunter should be: a person who fights for justice and protects others! If he keeps on doing this, we have no choice but to-"

"...Sorry to disturb all of you, but am I interrupting something?"

All girls jumped as they spun around to see Dynos calmly close the bathroom door behind him as he brought the bloody cloak among his shoulders. Besides wearing a fresh new cloak, his hands were now bandaged and tightly closed together, showing no distinct change in his appearance.

"H-how long were you listening?" Ruby finally managed to ask the question that all the girls were trying to say.

"...Just long enough to hear your conversation about taking precautions around me…" While answering Ruby's question, Dynos opened the window of the dorm and spread the bloody cloak on the windowsill.

"...We're sorry! We're very, very, very, very, very sorry for talking about you like that behind your back!...Please don't hurt us!" For every 'very' Ruby said, she bowed her head in forgiveness while little tears started to form under her eyes.

"...Why are you apologizing? You have done nothing wrong."

Eyes widening in shock at his answer, Ruby stared at Dynos as the others also did the same thing. Finally. it was Weiss who asked, "You're not insulted that we were talking about you like that?"

Dynos shook his head in response. "...In reality, I think it would be a better idea if you were all….weary around me." Looking at their surprised looks, Dynos continued, "Although I am your partner in combat…..I believe it would be best to take all precautions if I were to...suddenly break loose."

Confused, Weiss looked at Dynos for a moment before repeating what he had just said, "Break loose?"

Dynos nodded, "...It is something that I will tell all of you later…" Sighing, Dynos took a case which he had also brought along for his trip to Beacon which was currently sitting right in the corner of the dorm. He brought it over his back before once again turning to the group and asking, "...Do any of you know which is the quickest way to the roof?"

"Uhhhh, I think you take a left from here and you take another….left?" Yang shrugged as she added, "...Honestly, I haven't been up on the roof for a long time and I doubt the others have even been up there yet."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose as she said, "Yang, we've all been up there before, remember? The only reason we had to go there was because of your….special incident."

Once again,Yang pouted and mumbled back, "...It was only an accident…"

"An accident? Really, who loses their scroll, wallet, and motorcycle keys on the roof of Beacon and forget where it is when they have been spending their whole time on the roof?"

Blake rolled her eyes as the two started bickering amongst themselves while Ruby tried to calm the conflict. Turning to Dynos who was patiently waiting, she said, "Follow me. I always go there whenever I need to read in peace."

Dynos nodded in appreciation as the two left the dorm, leaving the rest of team RWBY to deal with themselves.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes of walking, the pair finally reached the top of Beacon Academy. Dynos set the case onto the floor of the roof before asking, "...Is there something you wish to know, Blake?"<p>

Shocked at the question he had just asked, Blake recovered from the sudden shock before replying, "...You're not human, are you?"

Dynos remained silent for a few seconds. "...Impressive. How did you figure out?"

Blake was hesitant with her answer for she was treading on very thin ice. Finally she replied back, "Your smell is different from the usual human smell. It's….also different from the average faunus smell."

Once again, Dynos remained silent before answering. "...You are a faunus yourself, am I correct?"

Pausing for a second, Blake nodded as she undid the ribbon on top of her head, revealing two black cat ears. "A cat faunus, to be precise. I was going to tell you when you first arrived at our dorm, but….things happened."

Nodding at her statement, Dynos turned to clip the suitcase. As he continued to do so, he asked, "...I believe you still have a question to ask?"

"...Wh-who or what exactly are you?"

This made Dynos pause at unclipping the case. It was a question he was hoping to avoid as he wasn't comfortable of giving away his identity. Not yet, at least. It was too soon to give away the 'mask' he carried around him which concealed him from danger's harm to others who he may rely on in the future. After thinking for awhile, he resumed unclipping the case before answering, "...Someone you do not want as an enemy…"

Blake frowned at the answer as it didn't completely give her a straight answer. "Why do you always speak in riddles? Is it because you don't trust us yet?"

Dynos finally managed to unclip the case, flipping the top over. Standing up, he stretched his arms as he said, "...Perhaps it is not that I do not trust you four yet, but in reality I do not want **you** to trust me…." Glancing at Blake's confused look, Dynos continued, "...As I have said before, when the time is right, I will eventually reveal to all of you the truth, one piece at the time. For now, please leave. I wish to think for awhile in peace."

Blake tilted her head at his answer, before eventually nodding at his request and leaving the rooftop by going down the stairs. Dynos sighed as he viewed the contents of the case and smirked for the first time in awhile at what he saw inside: a violin and a violin bow.

**End of chapter 4….**


	6. Chapter 5: Dreams and Nightmares

**Something to FEAR about **

Chapter 5: Dreams and Nightmares

"...Dreams…Described as a series of thoughts, images,or scenes where anything is possible, they will occur when a person's state of mind goes unconscious….Although some are forgotten in the span of time, there are those which last forever in our mind, showing the importance of what imagination and possibility truly are...So, what happens when **FEAR **is absorbed by a dream?...It turns into a nightmare."

* * *

><p>Cookies.<p>

They were everywhere she looked. Millions and millions of chocolate chip cookies were spread out across the land, all varying in different sizes while they were showered by gallons of milk. Shaking with excitement, Ruby screamed in a cute kawaii voice, "**COOKIES!**" before diving headfirst into the field of cookies and milk. Ruby could taste the amount of sugar and sweetness in her mouth, grinning from ear to ear as she started chomping on the cookies surrounding her. They never stood a chance against her anyways, instantly consumed the moment they reached her mouth. She continued to do this for what seemed to be an eternity…...that is until a voice was spoken out loud.

"...Awaken…."

Instantly, the cookies surrounding Ruby disappeared as the scenery changed; a swirl of images floated around her as if by magic. Mesmerized, Ruby stood up and walked over the place, looking around her while wondering what on earth was happening.

"...How many people will you kill?"

Again, the voice was sounding out loud and she couldn't tell if it was actually real or just her head playing tricks with her. Those doubts, however, immediately disappeared as an image flashed into her mind: a person being shot multiple times in the gut, producing blood to spread everywhere. This caused Ruby to immediately flinch and bring her arms to her sides, shivering at what she had just saw.

"...How many lives will you strike down for what you call 'true justice'?"

Once again, another image appeared in her head: a beowolf tearing through a human, devouring its innards with its bloody jaws. At this moment, Ruby kneeled down and started coughing hysterically at the thought, bringing tears to her eyes. It felt like the pain was real, as if she was the person the beowolf was devouring.

"You are the sole contributor of everything that you fear… Tragedy… Death… Destruction…. Hopelessness…"

Her surroundings changed like a whirlwind of sand, blinding her vision of sight. Ruby had to close her eyes shut while multiple sceneries were shown in her head: explosions surrounding downtown Vale, houses and buildings bursting into flames, screams and yells of pain echoing around her as the destruction flashed throughout her mind.

"Once this madness begins, no one will remain safe and nothing will be spared in our path of destruction…."

….Nothing flashed into her head this time. This caused Ruby to slowly open her eyes and peek out of her hands. One minute passed. Another one. And another one. Nothing popped into her head, causing her to sigh and drop her shoulders in relief….which was irrelevant as the voice sounded in her head again.

"...Soon, this fear will be used upon this world and I will allow you to watch as I tear your beloved Vale into pieces."

Silence. It lasted for a few , a fury of multiple arrows instantly pierced Ruby's chest out of nowhere like icicles piercing the ground. Blood spouted out of Ruby's mouth as it poured like a stream of icy cold water. At this point, Ruby was coughing out blood from her mouth as the pain increased by each minute. While she tried to apply pressure on the wound, her thoughts were scrambled inside her head, all leading to her thinking, _This is just a dream, a dream. It's not real. I'll wake up soon._ But as time passed, the scenario only continued and did not stop whereas Ruby could feel herself losing conscious due to the large amount of blood loss. With her eyes only flickering to stay awake, she tried to say something, only to finally closing her eyes for good, accepting the darkness to come….

BBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!

Ruby's head shot straight up from her bed at the ear-piercing noise. Dripped with sweat and panting frantically, she quickly looked around her. Apparently, her alarm clock went off, causing the loud, blaring sound that woke Ruby up from her nightmare, luckily not awakening her teammates who were all currently sleeping. However, on closer inspection, it seemed that she had set the clock a bit too early, for on the screen it showcased 5:00 am, 2 hours earlier than her normal time of waking up. Sighing in relief, Ruby wiped the sweat on her forehead while she slammed her fist onto the alarm clock, shutting the irritating noise off. (She did not want to experience what happened yesterday morning.)

_Wh-What the heck happened?_ Ruby thought as she slowly stepped out of her bed and landed on the ground softly, careful of not waking her teammates up. Restless, Ruby wandered towards the window and stared at the sun which was starting to rise. _Th-that wasn't any kind of dream I've had before! It started off as the usual, but then it turned into a nightmare!_ She continued to stare off at the scenery before her while her hand gripped her arm tightly, subconsciously shaking in fear.

Minutes rolled by as Ruby continued to watch the sun rise. Although she felt tired, she couldn't go back to sleep out of fear of the nightmare returning back into her mind. All she could do right now was stare into the now rising sunlight, trying to stay awake as much as possible for the rest of the morning…. that is until she heard something above her, located on the rooftop: a soft, sweet yet cold type of music.

_...I wonder who's playing? Whoever's playing, they're really good!_ Ruby quickly changed into her school uniform and climbed the stairs leading up to the rooftop, using her semblance to quicken the pace. As she reached the top of the stairs, the music intensified while the volume increased. Peering through the door to the roof which was slightly opened, Ruby's eyes widened and silently gasped at what she saw.

In the center of the rooftop stood Dynos playing a violin, arm and fingers stretched along the fingerboard. With a long, silver bow in his other hand, he was drawing the bow onto the strings, producing a sweet, yet sad song. Now that Ruby was more focused on what Dynos was playing, she now noticed that the melody he was playing was kinda...sad. It wasn't anything abrupt or loud, yet it wasn't a relaxing or satisfying melody. It was as if someone had just destroyed everything within himself and was mourning over the fact that it happened. The music was so entrancing that Ruby spent the next minutes just listening to the melody, not focusing on her surroundings or of the time. Even though Ruby had heard many people play the violin before, nothing could compare what Dynos was playing. The only thing that mattered right now was to listen to the enchanting sound, to be able to have the ability to acknowledge what was happening, to know how the music was going to end, to-

"...Ruby. I know you are hiding out there. Please come out."

Ruby didn't even notice that she was pushing against the door while watching Dynos intently, causing the door to creak open. Blushing in embarrassment, Ruby closed the door behind her and slowly walked over to Dynos who was still observing the girl. "U-um, you're really good at violin, Dynos!"

"...Thank you...I have been playing for a long time…" Dynos turned to his violin and started plucking its strings, starting from G to E. "..,Tuning does take awhile…."

Ruby watched him do so for a couple of minutes before asking, "What are you doing? I thought you were still going to keep playing?"

Dynos spoke without turning his head towards Ruby, "...So you did listen from the beginning…" Although he did not Ruby's ashamed look, he continued. "Whenever I play for a long period, my violin goes what you may call, 'out of tune'. This is when the instrument's strings do not sound correct, thus I have to twist the pegs to retune the strings." Dynos pointed to the four bullet-shaped tips at the end of the violin which he was currently twisting while continuing to pluck the strings .

"...So, how can you tell the difference if the string is out of tune?"

Dynos remained silent for a minute, continuing to tune his instrument. This caused Ruby to awkwardly stand there, waiting for his response. "...I have a talent called perfect pitch, meaning that I can identify any note that is played on any instrument. This helps me to tune my violin quicker without any electronic or instrumental aid. For example, if I need to tune the D string, I would only require to use the violin itself to tune the string. However, it does not seem to be the case today..." Dynos mumbled the last part of his sentence and continued to twist the pegs on the violin.

Ruby blinked at his detailed yet understandable explanation of perfect pitch, eyes widening at his skill. "Wowwww. You have really good ears, don't you? That's so cool!" Ruby practically cooed the last part, causing Dynos to mentally sweatdrop at her expression.

"...Thank you for your compliment…However, can I ask you a few questions?"

Ruby cocked her head to the side in confusion at his question. "Sure, what do you wanna ask?"

"...First, why do you care about this?"

Ruby blinked at his question. "Well, I think playing an instrument is really cool. I mean, I love listening to music, but I don't really know how to play it, so its always fascinating when someone knows how to play music really well!"

Dynos stared blankly at her explanation, nodding at each point given to him. "...Alright. Now, may I ask why you are here in the first place? More particularly, why were you spying on me?"

Once again, Ruby blushed in embarrassment and stuttered with her wording. "U-um, well, ya know, I-I wasn't like, stalking you or anything! So, yeah! Heh, heh, ha…."

Again, Dynos mentally sweatdropped at Ruby's stuttering and made a waving motion with his hand, indicating it was okay and not necessary for the explanation. ",,,I will not press you to explain why you are here. However, please do not spy on me when you think you are well hidden. I will find you, even if you are hiding in discrete."

Ruby eagerly nodded in agreement. As Dynos went back to continue tuning his violin, Ruby watched him for a few minutes in silence. Suddenly, Dynos said, "...Ruby, you do realise you are allowed to sit down."

Ruby didn't even realize that her legs were shaking due to the fact that they were sore from standing for so long. Nodding once more, Ruby sat beside Dynos, suddenly sneezing and shivering from the now cold weather as her school uniform wasn't enough to keep her warm.

"...Are you cold?" Dynos asked as he finally stopped plucking the strings and twisting the pegs on his violin. Nodding in satisfaction, Dynos put the violin and its bow back in its case, before turning to Ruby again. "...It must be cold to only be wearing such thin dresswear."

"O-oh!' Ruby exclaimed in surprise at the concern in Dynos's voice. "Ah, it's no biggie, really! I'm used to the- ACHOO!"

Ruby sneezed at the end of her sentence, causing Dynos to shake his head in disapproval. He then turned to grab something from his bag, grabbing Ruby's attention to perk up and wonder what he was doing. What he took out was a clean, gray blanket and wrapped it around Ruby, who again blushed at his action of concern. "U-um, Dynos! Wh-what are you doing?"

"...Are you not cold from the harsh wind?"

"I-I mean, I'm not cold right now, but...um...this is a bit uncomfortable..." She was trying to be polite about it, but in reality, she was currently blushing bright red like a tomato.

Dynos frowned under his hood, trying to comprehend what Ruby just said. "...Uncomfortable?"

"Y-you know what, nevermind!" Ruby quickly responded as she pulled the blanket closer to her. If she could blush even harder, she would right now. _Dammit, Ruby, _she thought, _What are you doing? Ugh, this is so awkward right now!_

The pair once again sat in silence. Finally, Ruby broke the silence by asking, "So...um, Dynos? What happened, yesterday?"

Dynos tilted his head in attention towards Ruby's question. "...Why do you ask?"

Ruby fidgeted under his gaze. "Well...what you said yesterday before you left for the roof, well...it seemed like you didn't care that you killed someone out of cold blood."

Dynos sat motionless at Ruby's response which caused Ruby to think that she may have spoken too much. However, Dynos spoke again with a firm tone, "...When the time comes, I will explain everything to you and your teammates. Do not doubt me, I truly respect your position as team leader of team RWBY. However, I would like to not share anything personal yet, at least not now."

Slowly nodding her head, Ruby responded back with a grin on her face, "It's okay. If you're not ready to tell us, we won't force you to. But, um, Dynos?" Ruby twirled her fingers as she hesitantly asked her question.

Dynos raised an eyebrow under his hood at her question. "...What is it?"

"...We're your teammates, right? So please, trust us if you need to say any-"

Suddenly, the door connected to the stairway burst open with Yang yawning in fatigue as she searched the rooftop. Spotting Ruby, and somehow missing Dynos, she waved and yelled, "Hey, sis! It took forever to find you! It's time for breakfast, so come...oh!"

Apparently, by now Yang noticed Dynos sitting with Ruby, a bit too close to what Yang thought of. This caused Ruby to jump at Yang's interruption and quickly get to her feet, once again, blushing in embarrassment. Taking the blanket off and quickly handing it back to Dynos, she cried, "Y-Yang! This isn't what this look likes! S-so, don't get any wrong ideas!"

Yang slyly grinned as she circled around the pair. "Riiiight! You weren't doing anything….suspicious up here, were you?"

"Eww, no!" Ruby stuck her tongue at Yang. "We didn't even plan anything like that! I just happened to meet him up here while he was playing violin and we were just talking and -"

"Ruby, I appreciate that you are trying to help, but a brief explanation is significant enough." Dynos interrupted Ruby with a wave of the hand, causing the girl to stop talking. Turning to Yang, who narrowed her eyes slightly at his method to stop Ruby from talking, he continued. "...If you are worried that I have harmed Ruby in any way, I will inform you that we did not do anything 'wrong' when the rest of you were asleep. Thus, there is no need for your concern about my presence with Ruby."

Yang blinked at his response. "Alright, but better safe than sorry, right?"

"...That is true. You should always take precautions before doing anything in particular."

Yang grinned at his response. "I'm happy that we both at least agree on that. Turning to Ruby, she asked, "So, Ruby, you wanna go get breakfast now? Everyone else is waiting for you."

"Okay!" Ruby quickly ran towards the stairs, but stopped and turned towards Dynos. "Dynos, are you coming or what?"

Dynos shook his head, now with the case strapped to his back. "You two may head back without me. I will see you in Ms. Goodwitch's class after breakfast….We do have that as our first class, correct?"

Yang nodded at his question. "Yep! Class starts at 9 o'clock sharp by the way, so don't be late, or you'll face Goodwitch's true wrath!"

"...Very well then. Thank you for telling me this." Bowing in appreciation, Dynos stood straight again and headed for the stairs before saying, ",..You may want to prepare yourself for combat. A dangerous fight awaits you…" Taking note of Yang's confused look, he passed the two of them and headed back downstairs, his footsteps echoing in the spiral staircase.

"...What does he mean by 'a dangerous fight' ?" Yang asked Ruby as the pair headed after him.

Ruby shrugged, not knowing the answer as well. "I don't know, you tell me! Anyway, we're going to be late, so come on!" And just like that, Ruby sped off towards the cafeteria, using her semblance to leave a trail of rose petals. Sighing and shaking her head, Yang hurried after her, thinking, _Sis, no matter what happens, you never change, and that's what I like about you._

* * *

><p>Beacon Academy. Amphitheater. 9:00 am.<p>

After team RWBY finished their breakfast and have retrieved their necessary equipment and respective weapons for Ms. Goodwitch's class, they arrived at the Amphitheater only to be met with Dynos having a conversation with Ms. Goodwitch herself. It seemed like the conversation was somewhat heated, for Ms. Goodwitch had an unimpressed look and Dynos was remaining as still as a statue, only talking under his hood. After a few minutes of talking, Ms. Goodwitch finally sighed and nodded, giving him the 'go ahead' signal. Bowing in thanks, the two went separate paths: Dynos walking to the stands of the Amphitheater and Ms. Goodwitch to her device, typing in what seemed to be a note on her device.

Yang was the first one to ask the question they were all wondering about. "What was that all about?"

Ruby shrugged, fixing her eyes on Dynos. "Who knows? But it seems like we're about to find out! Come on, let's find a spot to sit down."

With the others nodding at the suggestion, the four of them found a spot to sit down next to Dynos in the Amphitheater stands. Just at the same moment, students were flowing through the entrance of the Amphitheater, all chattering with each other and bursting with emotions, ranging from excitement to mild boredom of spending another long day of class.

"Oh, there you guys are! I thought you guys left for a mission or something!"

All the heads of team RWBY turned towards the direction of the voice. Standing right next to them was team JNPR, consisting of 4 of their friends: Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora. Also known as team 'Juniper', the two teams had experienced many battles and events together from the beginning of Beacon Academy's Initiation to being opponents against each other in one of the most fierce food battles Beacon had ever experienced.

Ruby grinned as she waved at the new group who was sitting down right now. "Oh, hey guys! Sorry that we didn't really have a chance to talk with you guys. We were kinda busy this weekend, and we just got a new teammate!"

Pyrrha noticed the quiet Dynos sitting next to Ruby, waving at the new team member in greeting. "Oh, so you're Dynos?" Receiving a nod from him, Pyrrha continued, pointing to each of her teammates in progress. "My name is Pyrrha and it's a pleasure to meet you! This is Jaune, our leader, Ren and-" However, the last member of team JNPR was missing, causing Pyrrha to look around in confusion. "Where's Nora?"

"Rrrrrright here!" The hyperactive orange haired girl suddenly appeared behind Dynos, causing everyone to jump at the sudden outburst of energy radiating from Nora. "By the way, my name's Nora, nice to meet you! Sooo, you're new here? Well, that's great 'cause you're paired with one of the best teams in Beacon! I mean, there are other teams that are really good, like ours, but team RWBY is just simply **fabulous**, so you'll really like them as your teammates, and-" Nora's fast paced speaking was interrupted with Ren pulling on Nora's arm, dragging her away to somewhere much quieter so the teenager could control the excitement raging through his friend's mouth.

Jaune sheepishly turned towards Dynos, he gave him a look that said _Sorry about that._ Dynos simply shook his head, signifying that the fast paced introduction did not bother him. As the conversations between team RWBY and JNPR begun, Yang turned towards Dynos and asked, "So, what did you ask Ms. Goodwitch for?"

Dynos merely continued to stare towards the center of the Amphitheater before asking, "...Do you remember what I said in the morning?" Glancing at the confused look on Yang's face, he sighed and continued, "...If you recall, I mentioned that a dangerous fight awaits you today. Did you completely forget that you wished to have a spar against me, or were you preoccupied this morning that you completely forgot to prepare?"

A surprised expression was shown on Yang's face. "Oh right! I completely forgot that we were going to have a duel today! Well, there's always another ti-"

"Hello, students, and welcome to the beginning of another class." Glynda Goodwtich's voice interrupted Yang's sentence, causing all students in the Amphitheater to pay attention. "However, before we begin, by a certain 'special' request," At this, Ms. Goodwitch glared towards the direction at team RWBY and team JNPR, specifically at Dynos, resulting to the others cowering at Glynda's glare. "a spar will begin before the class starts. Would Ms. Xiao Long and Mr. Felder please come down to the center of the arena and start their 'desired' spar?"

Yang stared at Dynos in disbelief for a few seconds, then grinned while cocking her head side to side. "Oh, so that's why you were so persistent with your question! Well, if it's a fight you want, come and get it!" With that said, Yang leaped from her seat in the stands and landed on her feet in the middle of the arena, waving a finger at Dynos that indicated him to hurry up. Dynos simply walked down the stairs towards the center of the Amphitheater, ignoring the whispers and glances from the other students.

Once Dynos reached the center of the arena, both he and Yang stood at opposite sides of the arena. They each prepared themselves as Ms. Goodwitch prepared to signal the duel to start: Yang reloading the clips in her gauntlets, punching them against each other with a huge grin on her face and Dynos simply drawing his dark red and black blade and bringing it to his left hand, ushering a dark aura that surrounded him. And as Ms. Goodwitch brought her hand down to signal the start of the duel, both combatants sprinted towards each other, commencing a battle that would linger throughout the memories of the students at Beacon.

**End of Chapter 5...**

* * *

><p><em>...Did you guys think that you were getting a fight scene? Sorry, but that's for next chapter...so too bad! <em>_***laughs evilly for few seconds***_ _...Wow I'm losing my sanity... _

_Anyway, hey guys, Pyromusical here. Sorry this chapter took a while, but I had a few things to take care of. Also, I had a family issue to add to my list, so I didn't have much time._

_I would like to mention a few things now though. Starting now, you might notice I will be updating the story a bit slower because school started again, so I will have to balance the two things equally. Also, I am so glad I was able to write a bit on Dynos as a violinist. I'm a violinist and a pianist myself, so I know how irritating tuning is when the strings are loose. ;)_

_So, as always, if you like the story, click the review button to leave comments, criticism or feedback. I always open for ideas to add to the story, so if you have any, leave them by reviewing. Hope you guys are doing fine, and I'll see you guys (as quickly as I can write Chapter 6) soon._

_- Pyrothemusical_


	7. Chapter 6: Battle of hidden power

**Something to FEAR about **

Chapter 6: Battle of hidden power

"...Wow...Dynos, that was amazing! I can't believe you're able to do that!"

"...To be honest, I am speechless myself...That...was really cool…"

"Awww...You actually are proud of yourself….Wait, did I see a smile? 'Cause I thought you were all mister negative everyday!"

"...Shut up…"

"_Sigh_...Well, aren't you at least happy that you unlocked your semblance now? You were always wondering what it was, so you finally got your answer!"

"...I don't know...Unlocking a power this big and strong inside of me...It's still a huge shock that I was able to control it…It just makes me feel...different..."

"Hey, don't forget about who you are, okay? Just because your semblance is different from what humans and faunus have, it doesn't mean you're a complete stranger to them. Also, there's something that I want you to remember for the rest of your life, okay? You have to promise me you won't forget it."

"...Okay, I promise...What is it?"

"...Just...know this: No matter how people look at you, even if they see you as some monster or freak of nature, you will always look the same to me and remain like that forever in my heart."

"...Th-thanks…"

"...Wait, are you blushing?!"

"NO! I'M NOT!"

* * *

><p>The two members of RWBY stood across one another, head turned and looking towards the direction of their opponent. After a few seconds of absolute silence, Yang made the first move by bringing her gauntlets to the side of her hips and starting to run towards Dynos whom remained still as she drew closer. Once Dynos was within range, Yang ushered a right hook in attempt to faze him, only to be met by thin air as Dynos simply dodged the blow. Bringing out Kurai homura, Dynos dashed behind Yang, sword in the left hand as he swung a vertical slash at her back. Yang narrowly stepped out of the way of the attack and jumped backwards, firing her gauntlets in front of her to separate the distance between the two.<p>

Noticing that close-ranged attacks weren't going to affect Dynos very much, Yang started firing her gauntlets viciously at Dynos while he was approaching her, producing a barrage of bullets headed towards him. Although he could have simply jumped out of the way, Dynos decided that he would go for a more offensive approach rather than acting as the prey in their spar. Thus, he brought his blade in front of him and swung multiple times around him, slashing through the bullets and rendering them useless. He then proceeded to sprint at Yang and violently swung his sword multiple times to produce a fury of slashes. This caught Yang in surprise for she brought her arms up in front of her, taking up a defensive position as the slashes and blows were blocked by the front of her gauntlets. During his attack however, Yang managed to sneak a few jabs and punches in his fury of attacks, injuring him a little in the progress.

* * *

><p>While the fight was continuing as each of the combatants traded blows, Ruby turned towards team JNPR, who were watching the fight carefully and asked, "So, what do you guys think of Dynos?"<p>

"He's better than I expected," Pyrrha replied back, not taking her eyes off of the fight. "I mean, I thought he was at least above average in skill and combat, but he seems to be able to keep his pace with Yang. How long has he been on your team, Ruby?"

"Actually, only for a day!" Ruby grinned as she remembered what caused Dynos to be accepted as a part of team RWBY. "At first, he was completely cold and unsocial, but now he's actually willing to talk with others! I mean, he may not look like it, but he's an interesting guy!"

"Wow!" Nora exclaimed as she stared in awe at Dynos while he brought his hand onto Yang's fist, intercepting her punch mid-flight. "Does that mean he's the best out of your team, or is he the weakest?"

Ruby shrugged in response. "We don't know yet, but it seems that he is pretty strong. I mean, he did manage to beat W-"

"Ruby, finish that sentence and I will **end **you." Weiss sent a withering look towards her direction, causing the girl to shrink back in fear. This only made team JNPR to become more interested on what had happened while they were gone.

As the others continued their small conversation, the only one who wasn't taking part of the discussion was Blake for she had her eyes glued to the fight. Yang was now gaining the upper hand as her punches were becoming more accurate, almost hitting their target. On the other hand, Dynos was continuing to evade the attacks, but was becoming less successful in succeeding to dodge Yang's punches as her attacks became more frequent and fast-paced. However, as the spar continued in the Amphitheater, Blake couldn't help but feel…. an unsettling feeling inside her. She couldn't tell what it was, but something in her head was telling her to leave this area as soon as possible, as if she was in grave danger. Ignoring the feeling and concluding that it was nothing, Blake continued to observe the fight while the others finally stopped their little discussion and decided to finally watch the match in tranquility.

* * *

><p>Dynos gritted his teeth in annoyance as he once again dodged another uppercut coming from Yang. Now the roles were reversed: Yang was now furiously throwing punches in his direction while he jumped out of the way. Although he was supposedly trying to take an offensive approach, it seemed it had no effect on the blonde warrior as she continued to overcome his attacks and apply the pressure on him, regardless of his strikes and slashes from Kurai homura. This was something he had not prepared for, as the last fight he had with team RWBY was with Weiss, who specialized in range attacks and primary defensive skills. However, Yang was the complete opposite: full out attacks with no worry about defence. It gave him little time to recover nor enough time to counter and strike back, causing the charade to play forever and eventually forcing him to back away from his opponent, giving him less space to operate with.<p>

"...I am growing tired of this 'little game'...Shall we extend this to the next level?"

It was the first time Dynos talked since their duel had begun, causing Yang to blink in surprise. Drawing the blade in front of him vertically, Dynos whispered in a quiet yet somehow audible voice, "...Let the flames consume the prey...Ignite, Kurai homura…"

Immediately, Kurai homura ignited in a dark, shadowy flame, surrounding the blade entirely and reaching across it, stopping at the hilt. Yang blinked in surprise at this as this was the first time she saw this. Apparently, it was also the crowd's first time of noticing Kurai homura's secret power and many started talking excitedly about the weapon's hidden feature. Ruby and Nora were practically jumping up and down in awe for they were completely blown away by Dynos's weapon design, and it took the rest of team RWBY and JNPR to calm the two girls down.

Recovering from the shock, Yang suddenly had the feeling of excitement inside of her whenever she was fighting a difficult opponent. Smiling in determination, she rushed him with her left fist directed at his face. However, instead of dodging the punch, Dynos simply swung a vertical arc towards Yang, even though the distance was too vast for the attack to connect. At first, Yang and the others who were watching were confused as to why he would do something strange like that, but it was soon to be clear in a few seconds. As if it were magic, a dark crescent shaped flame appeared in front of Yang, causing her to duck low towards the ground in order to narrowly dodge the projectile. Dynos did not stop at just one swing though, as multiple crescent shaped flames started to advance on Yang; some vertical, some horizontal, and even some that were diagonal. This made the projectiles become increasingly difficult to dodge as it was impossible to stop them in their tracks by simply blowing the flames back, something Yang was used to do when handling projectiles. Instead, she rolled out of the way as they zoomed past her, jumping out of the way for the ones that were aimed at the ground.

"Saved this secret just for me, did you?"

"...I have always had this power embedded into Kurai homura...I did not think it was necessary to share it with others…" Yang slightly frowned at his answer, but it was immediately replaced by a sly grin.

"Well, since you're going to take it to the next level, so am I!"

Instantly, Yang punched her fists together as her hair brightened, reaching to the point where it was surrounded by a bright, orange flame. This caused Dynos to hesitate with his slashes, exactly what Yang was waiting for. Smiling even wider, (if it was humanly possible) she sprinted towards him at an incredible speed, reeling onto him with a round kick. Dynos rolled back and brought his blade in front of him with both hands, attempting a defensive position. Yang continued to advance on him by laying down heavy swings with her fists and low kicks to trip him while he was jumping around the place. Knowing that defending was futile, Dynos rolled back to give himself a breather, grunting in the progress of evading her attacks.

Starting to get annoyed with the slow progress that was occurring within the fight, Dynos muttered to himself again, preparing to cast another crescent-shaped flaming projectile. However, by the time he even managed to produce one, Yang was already on her heels, dodging the flame and planning to take another swing towards his ribs where his guard was down. As there was no other way he would be able to guard against the kick in time, Dynos braced himself as he was launched into the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Regaining his composure as fast as he could, Dynos brought Kurai homura to his side and sprinted towards Yang, slashing vertically in front of him to send another crescent-shaped flame. However, Yang did something he did not expect was even possible for someone like her. In order to dodge the attack, Yang brought her gauntlets to the side of her body and fired, using the momentum to project herself upwards and somersault out of the flame's way. Immediately, she slammed into Dynos with her knee, stunning him for awhile, then proceeded to uppercut him into the air. Yang wasn't finished with him though as she herself lept into the air above the shocked Dynos and started jabbing at his chest, finishing it by bringing both of her fists to slam down on his head, like a hammer striking a nail into a piece of wood. This caused the teenager to drop straight down towards the center of the arena floor, miraculously not breaking the ground into smithereens. Yang softly landed onto the ground, panting out of fatigue and cracking her knuckles to relax from the impact of the slam dunk she had just performed. Dynos on the other hand, did not rise from the floor, and as the screen indicated, his aura bar dropped significantly quick until it was completely empty.

The whole crowd went silent as Yang slowly advanced on Dynos, for it seemed as it was obvious who was the clear winner now. Team RWBY and JNPR were exceptionally quiet as they could not believe what they had witnessed. It was without a doubt, one of the most intense fights they had just spectated in class.

"...Whoa...I had no idea Yang would take it that far…" Jaune mused over the observation as he rubbed his chin sub-consciously.

"Me neither…I mean, I'm her sister and I didn't think she would be that intense into fighting Dynos." Ruby agreed with the blonde teenager as they all stared at the result beneath them.

Weiss blinked for a few seconds, letting her brain process what Ruby had just said. "Wait, so Yang was doing this on purpose?"

"Well, it's not like Yang was in full control of her actions," Ren answered this time while trying to maintain a giddy Nora from bursting out of her seat in applause of the fight. "I believe it was her hot-blooded excitement that got over her before she could think clearly. We shouldn't blame her for fighting that vigorously though; I think that everyone in this room would wish to fight their hardest."

"...Do you think he's okay? He got a real hard beating from Yang, after all." Blake finally asked after the group of students sat there in silence for a few seconds.

"I think after a few hours in the medical bay, he should be fine...I hope," Pyrrha smiled hopefully before she and the rest turned towards the arena where Yang was checking if Dynos was still conscious.

Yang was still trying to regain her breath as she stood over Dynos who was currently still lying down. Clutching her chest for her own composure, she thought, _Wow! That was really, really hard! I mean, I knew Dynos was good, but not this good to make me use my semblance without harming my hair! I rarely do that, but he forced me to do it! Wow, that was a thing!_ As she kneed down to check if Dynos was still conscious, she made a mental note to ask the teenage boy how his weapon was customized, for a blade that produces its own projectile was amazing, especially since the projectile was not made out of bullets, but of living elements itself.

As she had thought, Dynos was unconscious and out of battle, giving her the victory, Turning towards Professor Goodwitch, who was taking notes and glancing at her tablet to assure the victor, Glynda announced, "Well class, after a hard fight, it seemed like one side is the victor. Thus, the winner of today's match is Yang Xiao Long!"

Multiple applauses and hollers of congrats filled the Amphitheater, causing Yang to grin and bow in appreciation. Out of the crowd, she noticed team RWBY and JNPR clapping exceptionally hard, the most coming from her little sister, Ruby. Smiling even harder, Yang waved to them as they waved back, shouting compliments and congrats. As there was no other business here, Yang started to walk towards the stands and sit with her team and friends, already thinking of what to say to her teammates when...

"...Did you really think that it would be this easy, Yang?"

The whole arena immediately went silent as Yang slowly turned around to see Dynos, head low with his cloak covering his entire head now. For some reason, a bead of sweat ran down Yang's back, and it wasn't from the fight she just had. Ms. Goodwitch was also wearing a surprised look as she was not expecting Dynos to make such a rapid recovery.

Dynos stood up, straightening his cloak before returning his gaze at Yang. Yang didn't know if she was hallucinating, but the atmosphere surrounding Dynos suddenly seemed to change into a dark, cold aura, making Yang wish to run away from him at first glance.

"...You wish to see what I truly am, do you not?" Dynos suddenly spoke, startling Yang. "...Very well, allow me to grant you that wish…"

And with that, Dynos flung his cloak off, revealing what was beneath him. This caused Yang and everyone's eyes to widen in surprise at what they saw, for Dynos usually wrapped himself with the cloak, not shedding any outside appearance of what he could look like underneath it. And what they saw underneath his cloak was indeed quite...interesting.

Dynos was wearing dark gray robes which exhibited some armor parts beneath it. Fur was covering the garment's shoulders and red silk ran across the cape of his robes. He had dark, purple hair that was somewhat short, only reaching to the tip of his neck. But what was most unsettling about him was what was on his face. A mask was placed on his face, covering his eyes and forehead as if it was acting as a visor while his nose and mouth were visible. The mask itself, was quite creepy since red veins passed throughout the white mask, running around as if they were alive themselves. To Yang's shock though, it seemed if the mask was going to break for multiple cracks could be seen in the mask.

"...It seems that this mask will break from the impact of your blow...Tell me, do you know what the purpose of a mask is, Yang?"

Yang flinched at his cold tone and had to think for a bit while Dynos continued to observe her. "U-Um, it's for fashion and appeal, maybe?" Yang nervously chuckled as she slowly backed away from Dynos. She swore that Dynos was glaring at her through his mask and his eyes were zooming right through her.

"...Usually, that answer is correct, but not in this case…" Dynos slowly brought his hand towards his mask, wrapping all fingers around it. "...I use this as a seal...One to cast my emotions away….And when it breaks…" His grip tightened on the mask itself. "...A monster emerges…"

And with that, Dynos crushed the mask with his mere hand, shattering it into multiple fragments. Underneath it revealed two dark, bloody, red glowing eyes that blinked themselves into reality. As they spun around to relocate their surroundings, they finally set upon Yang herself, making her immediately flinch and back away as fast as possible. Glynda also reacted to this as if it was a warning for she brought her hand to her riding crop. Slowly approaching the robbed teenager, she spoke softly, "...Dynos, the match is over, so would you please return to-"

Glynda never got to finish her sentence as Dynos drew Kurai homura and sprinted towards Yang, still exhausted from their fight prehand. Thus, she had no energy to defend herself from his actions and barely got out of the way as Dynos`s blade nearly pierced her shoulder.

"What has gotten into you!?" Yang demanded as she rushed back to avoid another one of Dynos's attacks. She knew something was off when he took of his mask, but she didn't think it would affect him this much. At this point, lots of students were standing from their seats in the stands with confused and shocked looks. Team RWBY and JNPR immediately rushed from their seats and reached the Amphitheater floor in a matter of seconds, all with concerned and worried expressions upon their faces.

`Wh-what`s wrong with him? The match is clearly over! Ms. Goodwitch clearly said it herself!" Ruby stuttered as they ran to where Yang and Dynos were fighting.

Blake scowled as she now regretted she didn't pay attention to the bad feeling she had felt before. "I don't know, but I don't think he's doing this on purpose. Let's hope Professor Goodwitch can stop the fight before either one of them gets hurt."

Indeed, that was at least the truth . Glynda was currently trying to defend Yang from Dynos's blows and was having narrow luck in guiding the blonde away from Dynos with glyphs. Each time she forced Yang to divert to a different path though, Dynos would automatically appear next to her, as if he could tell where Yang was heading next. This also caused a problem as Glynda could not attack while helping Yang, thus making it impossible to stun or knock out Dynos. Yang now realized that if it weren't for Ms. Goodwitche's help, she would be dead right now, already victim to Kurai homura's blade.

Unfortunately, things were looking even dimmer as Dynos had more success in catching up to his target. Suddenly, Dynos managed to knock Yang off her feet with a bodycheck, causing the blonde to stumble towards the ground. Glaring at her with pure hatred, there was no hesitation in his swing as his sword came upon Yang, too quick for Ms. Goodwitch to cast a glyph in order to protect her. Squeezing her eyes in fear, Yang waited for the inevitable….

Yet it never came. After a few seconds, Yang slowly opened her eyes to see her friends from team RWBY and team JNPR in front of her, weapons drawn and pointing at Dynos to ward him off Dynos away from Yang. This caused Dynos to recoil suddenly, as if this sudden action caused pain towards him.

"...Why?" The others looked surprised when Dynos suddenly spoke, clutching his head as if he were in agony. "...Why do you protect her?"

"Why do you think?" Ruby yelled, bursts of energy in her eyes while Blake and Weiss assisted Yang to head to the very back where Professor Goodwitch was standing. "She's my sister! I have to protect her, no matter what happens!"

"...You consider her...special?"

Ruby blinked in surprise at the sudden awe in the tone of his voice. "Yeah, she's my older sister, remember? I'd do anything to protect her with every I-"

Her sentence was interrupted again as Dynos suddenly roared in fury, eyes flashing with intent of murder in his eyes. Charging at Ruby, the dark aura continued to creep alongside Kurai homura once more as it was pointed at Ruby, the peak of the blade aligned towards her forehead.

"Ruby!" Jaune warned as Dynos advanced onto the still shocked teenager. While the others quickly rushed to aid the girl, he added, "WATCH OUT!"

But this time, Ruby either didn't realise there was a sword directed towards her head or was slow into dodging the strike as she watched in slow motion the sword advance on her. She could already predict what would happen next: the sword piercing her head, instantly killing her. Bringing both arms to her head, Ruby closed her eyes in fear as she awaited what was assumed to become her death…..

Seconds passed, yet nothing came. Unsure of what was going on, Ruby slowly opening her eyes and peered through her fingers to see Dynos standing an inch close to her, mid-prepared to blow a hole straight in her head. She then noticed that the red, sinister glow in his eyes had disappeared, revealing two bright, purple eyes in their place. Still being cautious, Ruby stepped back hesitantly as team JNPR quickly surrounded Dynos, Ren knocking Kurai homura out of his hand. Dynos didn't even react to the action though; it almost seemed like time had stopped for the purple haired teenager.

Pyrrha quickly checked on Ruby. "Ruby, are you okay?" she asked as the others still surrounded Dynos in a circle.

"Y-yea, I'm fine, but I'm not sure what happened…" Ruby's voice trailed off as she continued to watch Dynos remain motionless as the rest of team RWBY, excluding Yang, hurried over to her. As Blake and Pyrrha helped Ruby up, Weiss glared at Dynos accusingly who still had his eyes remained where Ruby used to be. "What on earth is wrong with you!? Don't you think you took it a bit far this time!? You almost killed two of our team members!" Still, Dynos did not reply to her statement nor even reacting to her furious outrage. Annoyed by his silence, Weiss walked up to Dynos's face and waved her hand in front of his face. "Hey, are you even listening to m-"

Before Weiss could finish her sentence, Dynos immediately collapsed to the ground, unmoving. This caused an immediate rush to the unconscious teenager as team JNPR and team RWBY tried to wake Dynos up. They were pounding on the ground around him, shaking him by the shoulder, yelling out his name in frustration and desperation, yet they were having no success.

While they were trying to wake Dynos, Glynda called the medical team to bring a pair of paramedics and a stretcher for the boy to be sent to the medical bay. After that was accomplished and the two paramedics brought Dynos out of the Amphitheater, Glynda decided to make another call. Glancing at the students who were discussing amongst themselves what had just happened, the receiver finally picked up.

"...Hello?"

"Professor Ozpin? We need to talk. NOW."

**End of Chapter 6…**

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys, Pyrothemusical here.<em>

_Just like I promised, here's chapter 6. I hope you guys liked the fight scene and it was satisfying to meet your expectations. Honestly, not much else I can say as that's all I'm really concerned about for now. Chapter 7 might take awhile to finish, so don't get your hopes up until it comes, alright? _

_So, as always, if you like the story, click the review button to leave comments, criticism or feedback. This time, if you have any advice on how to make fight scenes better, tell me by clicking that review button. Hope you guys are doing fine and as always, I hope to see you guys soon. _

_- Pyrothemusical_


	8. Chapter 7: What is power?

_Okay, so I'll keep this brief. The only reason this is so late (you know, only a one month gap between chapter 6 and 7) is because school is eating up a lot of my time, much more than I expected. I mean, I'm only in grade 10, so I thought it wouldn't be that bad….I was so wrong….So, I'm probably going to post these chapters about 3-4 weeks after the previous one so I can balance my schedule well._

_Also, I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who left a review, favourite, follow or even reading the story so far. I've already reached more than 3,000 views with 16 reviews, and I can't say how happy I am when I hear your comments._

_Anyway, here's chapter 7 just like I promised, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Just like always, leave your comments by clicking on the review button and tell me what you think of the story so far. See you guys later and I hope you all have a wonderful day._

_- Pyrothemusical_

* * *

><p><strong>Something to FEAR about <strong>

Chapter 7: What is power?

"Power….The ability to act or react in a particular way, justified as either good or evil...It can not be simply determined at first glance, but justified by how one shall use this special advantage…..However, it also has the ability to dominate and control others by using many different cruel tactics, thus disguising its true purpose within its actions…..The most popular one?...**FEAR**."

Ozpin sighed as he gazed out of the window in his office. So far, today had been mildly interesting. First, his once broken coffee machine magically produced a brew of coffee for him, (he still had to figure out what was exactly going on with the machinery itself) then his package for the newly-imported cane he had ordered came in, and finally, Glynda called him to discuss something he would describe as "an urgent matter". Glancing at the time, his mind pondered upon many things, from dealing with Ironwood's obsession of using Atlas's newest branch of artillery against criminals to dealing with the so-called 'new forces' Dynos had been talking about. Speaking of Dynos…

Ozpin's gaze was directed to the scenery outside of his window this time. Dynos Felder. No matter how many times he repeated that name, it always brought curiosity and interest in his mind. The teenager was always shrouded in mystery and darkness, something Ozpin found to be quite intriguing. He could never quite place his finger on what made him….different from the others, and Dynos was not keen on sharing it, something that Ozpin respected and did not further question the mental boundaries surrounding him. Tapping his finger against his left hand, Ozpin patiently waited for Glynda to arrive at his office. The clock ticked for every second that had passed, repeatedly swinging in a continuous motion.

After a few seconds, there was finally a knock on the doors. Ozpin adjusted his glasses and said, "Come in."

The doors slammed wide open, revealing a furious Glynda behind it. Wielding her scroll and riding corp stiffly against her body, she swiftly marched in front of Ozpin's desk. By the look of her furious expression, Ozpin was expecting something horrible had just occurred outside of his presence.

"Ozpin, may I ask why in the world did you let mister Felder join Beacon Academy when you were the only one to experience what he was hiding within himself?!"

Ozpin remained silent as Glynda glared through her own pair of glasses. If looks could kill, Ozpin would be obliterated, blown off of Remnant and into space itself. When Ozpin did not say anything, Glynda took it as a hint to continue her questions.

"As you have previously stated yourself in the report you handed to me, Dynos Felder has great potential in combat and intelligence, something that not many hunters and huntresses have inside themselves. However, what you did not mention is that the child is mentally unstable himself, unable to control his power and poses as a huge threat to the ones around him! So, would you kindly explain to me why you would bring him here into the Academy in the first place!?"

Silence hang in the air for a few minutes as the tension surrounded the atmosphere. Glynda continued to glare at Ozpin while he closed his eyes to think, bringing both of his hands together and linking them together. Finally, he opened them and asked, "...Would you kindly repeat what happened this morning, Glynda?"

The question completely threw Glynda off while she was preparing to counter whatever explanation he was going to give her. Regaining her composure, she responded at his question by describing what had happened this morning, beginning from the start of the duel where Yang and Dynos faced against each other to just before she had called Ozpin to talk with him, regarding Dynos's case. It was also after when team RWBY and JNPR had finally managed to subdue Dynos from harming anyone else, resulting with him rendered unconscious and being sent to the medical area with a worried team RWBY and JNPR after him.

Ozpin listened quietly, noting every single detail and event about the duel. He did raise an eyebrow at Dynos's sudden outburst and fury which caused him to last out at Yang, but proceeded to allow Glynda to continue speaking. After Glynda finished talking, Ozpin remained silent with his eyes closed as Glynda waited for his output. Finally, Ozpin asked, "...Glynda, have you witnessed his semblance yet?"

Arching her eyebrows in confusion, Glynda slowly nodded. "Of course, sir. His semblance is what I have just seen this morning. I do not know entirely what it is, but I will make sure to go into greater depth to find out."

Ozpin chuckled a little at her response before gazing at the confused professor. "...That's not his semblance, Glynda."

Eyes widening at the sudden news, Glynda stuttered for a moment before regaining her composure. "B-but sir! How could that not have been his semblance?! What we have just seen is beyond reach of the normal capacity a human to withstand!"

"Exactly," Ozpin replied back. "A normal human could not withstand such power and might. But what if that person was never human to begin with?"

Empty silence hung in the air as the two professors remained in total silence. Glynda wrapped her head around the idea before asking quietly, "...Are you suggesting that Dynos is-"

"Of course, this is all speculation with no concrete evidence." Ozpin stood up and turned towards the window in his office, his back towards Glynda. "As you have previously stated, Dynos is something quite….peculiar. However, if my theory is correct and all the hints are connected together, I believe we are dealing with something much bigger than we have ever imagined. Now the question we are all pondering on: will Dynos be willing to share his dark secrets or remain hidden in the cloudy fog that we now call 'lies'?"

* * *

><p>Darkness.<p>

It surrounded Dynos. Nothing appeared in his vision except shrouds of darkness, blinding his view of his surroundings. Glancing around him, the teenager stood up, turning his head to see where he was. The only things he could make out was his own body and a crimson moon that filled the dark, black sky.

"...**Do you feel...alive?**"

That voice. No matter how many times Dynos tried to ignore it, it kept on repeating itself as if it was an old record player, repeating the same message over again. Dynos sighed in exhaustion, sat back down and pointed his gaze towards the darkness. The voice remained silent for awhile before speaking again in its sinister tone.

"**Don't lie to me, Dynos. You enjoyed it, didn't you? Having the ability to easily crush your opponents, being feared by others, crushing their pathetic lives into nothing but smithereens! Come on, give in to me Dynos! I know you want to! I can grant you even more power, even more control over others! Swear your allegiance with me and I will be your ally, your weapon, your partner!"**

Silence hung as the voice finished its sentence. Dynos continued to gaze at the black fog surrounding him before asking, "...If you wish to work with me, why do you not appear in front of me, instead of hiding in the shadows like a coward?"

An irritated growl emerged, making the ground to shake. "**Heh, big words for someone who strikes from the shadows to capture his prey...As for your question, you know why I can't appear in front of you...Ever since you sealed me in that damn cage-"**

The voice suddenly stopped mid-sentence, causing Dynos to look up towards the sky in confusion. "...Is something wrong?"

"**...Heh, looks like your friends are here, meaning our little 'meeting' is going to have to be cut short for today...Though, I wonder if you still consider them your friends, Dynos."**

Dynos closed his eyes in exhaustion, wishing this dreadful day was going to end. No matter what happened, it would always end up like this: the people he trusted would always regard him as a monster after revealing the potential power inside him. In reality, it was becoming very tiring to deal with these situations. To be hated or to be loved by others, it did not matter. The only issue he was concerned with was how he was going to dissolve the current mess he was in…...It was always a pain in the first place which was what Dynos was trying to avoid.

"**Earth to Dynos? You going to meet them or what? Because quite frankly, it's boring to watch you continue to gawk at the sky like that."**

As the voice shook him out of his thoughts and back to reality, Dynos nodded and opened his eyes, revealing a red glow in his eyes. "...I am ready….Farewell….'other me'."

The sinister voice sarcastically grunted in displeasure as the dark fog shrouded him completely. Closing his eyes once again, Dynos drifted off to unconsciousness and the scenery dissolved….

* * *

><p>"Ruby! What are you doing!?"<p>

"Aw...Come on, Weiss! I just wanna look at his face again! Why won't you let me!?"

"Ruby, maybe you should consider that there is a reason why Dynos wears a mask all the time, especially after what just happened…"

"Aw, but I really wanna see his face one more time!?"

Multiple voices could be heard when Dynos finally woke up. It felt as if someone was trying to grab ahold of his face and ripping the skin off, causing it to become a nuisance. Groaning slightly, Dynos opened an eye to reveal all 4 girls hovering above him deep in conversation. Gazing around him, he saw that Ruby was currently grabbing his mask with her hand and although he knew it wasn't intentional, she was actually unknowingly trying to pull his mask off with all her might. Weiss and Blake on the other hand, were trying their hardest to persuade their leader into resisting the urge of tearing the mask of Dynos's face and potentially injuring him. The only thing that Dynos was surprised to see was Yang being absolutely quiet and staring right at him with a hurt/betrayed look on her face. Seeing that remaining silent would change nothing, Dynos spoke up, "...How long was I out?"

All 4 members of RWBY jumped at his question before realizing that he was fully awake. With tears in her eyes, Ruby hugged Dynos with all her might, causing him to flinch at the sudden contact with another person. "Th-thank god! I thought you were going to die!"

Dynos paused before asking, "...Ruby?"

Ruby looked down at him with a confused look on her face. "What's wrong, Dynos?"

"...You are currently grasping onto my mask tightly as if you are trying to rip my head off of my body. Also, I feel that every bone in my rib cage is about to break due to how hard you are embracing me, so may I ask you to stop now?"

When she finally realized what she was doing, Ruby immediately let go with an embarrassed look on her face. "Heh, sorry!" Dynos merely nodded his head, indicating it was alright before turning to the others. All three were observing him as if he was a bomb that was about to set off, bringing immediate danger to everyone in the medical room. Speaking of which, Dynos finally rose from his medical bed and looked around to observe his surroundings. He was currently in a clean, white room with different medical supplies surrounding him. A window stood to his left, showcasing the cloudy sky outside. Noting all of this, he finally turned his gaze to the others which caused them to flinch suddenly.

"...How long was I out?"

Blake blinked at his question before answering back, "You've been out cold for about 6 hours now. After you collapsed, Ms. Goodwitch called the medical team to bring you to the medical bay and we waited for you to wake up ever since."

"...I see…"

There was an awkward silence that filled the gap between his words. Dynos continued to gaze at them silently as team RWBY slightly backed away from him. Finally, after a few seconds of staring at them, Dynos asked, "...What do you think of me now, team RWBY?"

The sudden question brought confusion and hesitation upon their faces as it took a few minutes for the others to reply. Although they had recently started working with Dynos and managed to warm up with him, none of them knew what to say for Dynos himself was an enigma that they could not figure out.

Dynos adjusted himself so he could sit while his eyes were focused on each individual huntress. "...Do not hesitate to spell out the truth. It is better to say what you truly think than to cover it with a blanket of lies."

Blake was the first one to speak after a few minutes of deep thinking. "...Powerful."

"...Mysterious…" Ruby whispered in a hushed voice which could be barely heard.

Dynos nodded and turned his attention towards the other two who have still not spoken yet: Yang and Weiss.

"...Dangerous…" Weiss slowly put her words together, knowing the consequences of what could possibly come. To her surprise, Dynos merely nodded and found his dark eyes pointed at Yang who was still silent. The others also cautiously glanced at Yang, pondering on what she was about to say.

"...Do not hesitate to spell out the truth, Yang." Dynos suddenly spoke up, causing Yang to flinch at his empty voice. "...I will not be offended by what your thoughts are…"

Eventually she spoke up, which brought the tension to cease down for a little. However, it was brought back up as Yang declared, "...Threatening, suspicious, and untrustworthy." This was finished with Yang giving Dynos a hard, cold glare.

Her other teammates immediately gave her a harsh look and Ruby was about to say something before Dynos waved his hand at her, indicating to hear Yang out. Turning towards the blonde teenager, he asked, "...And what is it that you find me….untrustworthy, Yang?"

Crossing her arms across her chest, Yang took a deep breath before continuing her explanation. "Well for starters, what you just did back there was inhumanly impossible. I mean, setting off a dark flame from your sword and producing a dark aura to surround your body? I'm pretty sure that's something an average human can't do. Also, why did you suddenly attack us if we were your enemy!? I mean, it's almost like you were treating us as complete strangers!"

By the end of her sentence, Yang was heavily breathing, hoarse from all the shouting and talking. The others were looking at her as if she had crossed the line, though remained silent to see how Dynos would react. However, Dynos still withheld a blank expression on his face as he processed what Yang had just said. Finally, he spoke up in a quiet voice.

"...So, this is all about trust, correct?"

Yang couldn't resist but look down as she was unable to keep her gaze at the teenager's face. Now that her thoughts were spoken out and cleared her head, it left Yang with a clear mind to calmly respond to Dynos's questions. "...Just like what Ruby told you before, Dynos? We're your teammates, so we've got each other's backs right? That means that if we're going to work together as a team, there has to be no more secrets, okay?"

Dynos scanned the concern on Yang's face and sighed before asking, "...Do you all remember what I told you four last night?" Noting the confused looks on his teammate's face, he continued to talk. "...I believe that I warned the four of you to be cautious around me and take several precautions. Now, may I ask why you did not follow these recommendations?"

Weiss shook her head in disbelief before replying back. "Um, we didn't know this would occur, so you can't just bin the blame it all on us-"

"Do not speak conspiracies before knowing what the true story is, Weiss." Dynos spoke in a cold tone, immediately cutting off Weiss and making her falter under his gaze. "I do not blame any of you for what had just happened, thus you should not feel guilty of your actions. In reality, I believe that I should be apologizing for what had just happened as I should have been prepared if something like this were to occur."

The four girls were surprised to hear this from Dynos. Of course, they knew that Dynos was the polite and sincere one while barely showcasing any emotions, but this was scarcely passing the former limit. "You don't have to apologize for anything. It wasn't your fault at all since you had no control over what could happen." Blake quietly responded back.

"No. I was fully aware that something like this could occur, yet I failed to prevent it to happen. Therefore, I am fully responsible of my actions and what possible injuries or even deaths that could have occurred in the Amphitheater."

"Wait, you knew something like this was going to happen!?" Yang took a step forward, only to be brought back by Blake who nodded at Dynos for him to continue.

"...Now, back to what you have just said about trust. Trust is a powerful force, but it is also a dangerous power and can be tampered with quite easily. I have my own reasons for remaining discreet about my powers as the four of you also do, so please do not try to tear the truth out of my m-Gah! " Dynos winced in pain as he placed a hand over his bandaged ribs. The others immediately noticed this and rushed over to his side to assist him, but Dynos waved them back. "...I am fine. However, my wounds from the previous battle have not recovered yet and I have no more energy to hold a conversation with you. Thus, I ask that the four of you to leave me be so I may rest in silence."

"O-Oh!" Ruby squeaked as she reluctantly drew back from the recovery bed. It seemed like she understood what the hidden message was. "O-Of course. C'mon guys, I think we should let him rest." Nodding with her suggestion, team RWBY quietly and slowly filed out of the medical room and into the hallways of the hospital. Yang was the last to reach the door before turning around to face Dynos once again. Gazing upon the still body that was now resting, Yang enclosed her hand and tightened her fist before turning towards the exit.

"...Oh. And Yang?"

Once again, Yang turned around to look at Dynos and was shocked at what she saw. Dynos was smiling for the first time, yet there was something unsettling about it. It was as if his smile was even more unsettling that his physical appearance and attitude. Reluctantly, Yang responded back, "Y-yes?"

"...You hate me with a burning passion, do you not Yang? It's okay….I have been hated by others many times and made countless enemies during my life….One more person will not change anything." With that said, Dynos turned his head towards the ceiling and closed his eyes, leaving a pale Yang with distress in her own eyes to slowly close the door behind her, bringing the room to complete darkness...

* * *

><p>"...How did it go?"<p>

"It went better than expected. I was able to subdue him just in time before there were any major casualties. I even managed to repair his mask and slipped it onto his face just in time. But next time, remind me to stock up on obsidian darts in case something like this happens again, okay?"

"...Do I sense annoyance in your voice? There is something bothering you, yes?"

"Tch, there were a few girls and boys who almost managed to get themselves killed in the process. Annoying hunters and huntresses, I don't know. Turns out I almost missed my shot because of them and we all know how **that** would result into…"

"...I see. They may become a problem in the future...And what shall we do about this?"

"Heh, let's wait before we make our move until **she** comes back from her mission. I curious on how she'll think about all of this. Then, we can make preparations for the plan."

"Very well. I will also prepare for what will come. And when the time comes?"

"_Oui!_ _C'est le temps pour _extermination, ha!"

**End of chapter 7...**


	9. Chapter 8: A dark legend

**Something to FEAR about**

Chapter 8: A dark legend

"...Heroes, villains, anti-heroes…They all play a huge role in human's society...Whether it is from delivering justice upon the crooked one, producing mass destruction and chaos across the planet or just acting upon their own intentions, they all represent the nature of humanity...There will never always be good, evil nor neutrality for there will be one person that thinks of contrast against the majority's wishes...Nevertheless, their actions signify what side they represent and if they are lucky enough, their stories are noted and written down in words to be passed down from generation to generation….as legends have major influence on the world's population: producing ease and comfort or casting distress and **FEAR **on others…"

2 weeks.

That was how much time had passed since the incident. Although one could argue that time passes very slowly in a human's lifespan, it can fly by very quickly if one were to not pay much attention to their surroundings and become absorbed in their actions. This was what Dynos was experiencing right now. One moment he was still lying down on the medical bed, recovering from his vicious blows against Yang. The next thing he knew, he was maintaining the status of a normal Beacon student, still regularly attending his classes.

Of course, Dynos did not spend the next 2 full weeks resting. After a good night's sleep, he was able to move his body again, something he was unable to do after his fight with Yang. Although the doctor had insisted that he was to stay in bed to rest for a few more days, Dynos reassured the doctor that he was fine and was eventually allowed to leave the medical bay.

So what was he to do now? There were so many options now and all could lead to a different ending. At the end, he decided to return as a normal Beacon student and attend his studies again the following day. It was the only reasonable conclusion he could come up with after a few minutes of deep thinking. If he were to run away or disappear, it would cause the Beacon Academy Board to issue a search warrant on his disappearance and the last thing he wanted to do was to involve a search for his location from the officials.

...There was the other solution, but Dynos instantly condemned it as idiotic and dangerous. At this current situation, he was not that desperate….yet. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was stain his hands again with the colour of dark red…

Of course, before continuing to attend his studies as a student, Dynos immediately went to Professor Ozpin's office and requested a change in the teams, particularly to allow him to work alone.

Ozpin raised his eyebrows at the request before asking, "And why do you ask me such a question, Dynos? I doubt the reason is only because you are in a team with 4 other girls."

"...Professor, surely Miss Goodwitch has told you what has happened the other day?"

Ozpin merely nodded as Dynos continued to speak, "...Then, you must know the reason why I ask this, do you not? It is not for the safety of myself, but for the safety of others as well. If that is not hard to grasp by itself, why do you even ask such a ridiculous question?"

"...Dynos, why did you come to Beacon in the first place? I believe it was not simply for fun, was it not? You must have had a motive when you asked me for my permission to apply into Beacon Academy the night I first met you. So, what is your goal in attending classes here?"

Dynos remained silent during Ozpin's questions. After a few seconds, he finally spoke up, "...Forget I even asked such a silly request. It has been a waste of time." Noting Ozpin's silence, he turned around to allow himself to exit the office before being stopped by Ozpin's voice as he almost closed the door behind him.

"If you wish to stick by yourself or join another team, you have my permission. But remember this, Dynos: You can not always separate yourself from others in an attempt to hide your deepest secrets. Sometimes, you must to turn to someone else for their help, even if they can not be trusted."

Dynos simply remained still before finally closing the door behind him, allowing the thud of the closed doors to echo through the halls, Meanwhile, Ozpin merely sighed and eventually closed his eyes, deep in thought…

* * *

><p>For one who had barely come back from an unconscious state in a mere 2 days from a savage fight and displayed an enormous amount of power, Dynos was quite popular amongst the hunters and huntresses. Everywhere he went, students were talking behind his back, either whispering in awe of his enormous power that could even rival Yang's or shooting dark looks at him as if he was a ticking bomb with the fuse cut short, only waiting to be blown up at no specific time.<p>

Of course, Dynos was completely aware of what the others were discussing about him when his back was turned against him. This was not the first time he had experienced this kind of treatment from others as it had occurred various times in his life. Still, it caused Dynos's blood to boil a bit every time someone started to talk about him...

"_Did you hear what happened two days ago?_"

"_Heard he was able to stand up against Yang the other day._"

"_Really?! Wow, he must be really strong! And he's only what, 16 years old, right?_"

"_I don't know, but that's what everyone else is saying!_"

"_Still, did you hear what he almost did to team RWBY, right?_"

"_Yeah, I heard. Almost managed to slice the girls in half, right?_"

"_Jeez, what kind of monster would do that to his own teammates!?_"

"_He doesn't belong here, he should go straight to an asylum or something. Someone like him shouldn't fight with us!_"

"_Yeah, you're totally right! Why would Ozpin accept some kind of freak to join Beacon!?_"

Dynos simply chose to continue walking towards his next class. It would do him no good to allow his emotions let loose, let alone cause his temper to rise. He would simply abide by these "secret" conversations and ignore his fellow classmates' comments. And then there was the issue concerning with his fellow team: team RWBY….

What would he do about this problem? The question always surfaced through his thoughts while he was concentrating on his tasks. No doubt that staying with the team would cause more problems, not to mention that it would also produce a bad public image of team RWBY. Yet, they knew too much about him already: his fighting style, his secret powers, his weapons and especially what he looked like under his mask. With this much information in their hands, it would be problematic if the knowledge was in….the wrong hands. Thus, he could not leave their sides...at least, not now. That meant there was only one last solution...and how ironic it was the one solution that he wished to avoid it.

Dynos sighed once more before looking down upon his hands, examining them before tightening them into fists. The following days would be very….interesting, to say the least….

* * *

><p>"And then. when the Ursa Major could no longer stand, I brought my weapon down upon the poor thing and finished exterminating every single Grimm in the area!"<p>

Grimm Studies Class. It was always an….interesting course to intend, if one were to say it in a maturely fashion. Of course, not every student could fully comprehend this statement as the majority of the students were either busy falling asleep during class, staring into the oblivion located on the classroom's black board or simply doodling on their notebooks. Obviously, team RWBY and JNPR were no exception to this as each member of the two teams were paying from very little to zero attention to what the teacher was currently saying. Speaking of which….

Professor Port was quite interesting as well. A middle-aged man with gray hair and a gray mustache while wearing a double-breasted burgundy suit, Peter Port was very distinguished accompanied by his loud voice and cheerful attitude. No doubt, he used those two characteristics to his advantages as each class was him describing his remarkable adventures, slaying any kind of grimm in his path while employing his role as a huntsman. Sadly, his stories were usually missed by the ears of his students for his teaching skills seemed to bore the whole class very often. And as the class time slowly continued roll by, Dynos was seriously beginning to ponder around the question on how on earth Beacon Academy had allowed the Professor to teach when his own students were eventually becoming deaf to his teaching.

_...Obviously, he is an intelligent man with his own intellectual fighting skills; his weapon and details on slaying Grimm prove this obvious, _Dynos thought in his head while Professor Port continued to rant on how he saved others on the battlefield from the brinks of death. _However, if his lessons are passing straight through the ears of his students, I do not see the point of even trying to convey the messages about the mysteries of Grimm. Especially if the students continue to misbehave…._

Dynos quickly glanced where team RWBY was sitting and not to his surprise, Ruby was continuing to draw silly pictures of Professor Port (although he could argue that some were quite insulting and disrespectful). Weiss simply gazed at the clock sitting on her desk, ignoring everything the professor was recounting about. Blake was reading a book hidden by the covers of her textbook as the lesson continued to roll on and Yang was snoozing a peaceful nap with her head on her shoulders. Shaking his head in disappointment, Dynos returned his attention to the professor as he was about to conclude his heroic story.

"Thus, the battle was over and we managed to extinguish the Grimm population out of the village! The End." This was met by a few short claps and low cheers as Professor Port merely widened his grin. "Well, since the bell has not rung yet, I wish to discuss one last subject with the class." This time, the response was loud groans and heads connecting with the top of the desktops. Either Professor Port was really good at ignoring this factor or was completely oblivious to it as he loudly laughed while his belly bounced with each laugh. "HA HA! Sadly, it isn't another of my most recent heroic tales, but a little legend that caught my interest. Since it was so intriguing, I thought that I should have the privilege to share it with you fellow hunters and huntresses. Now, where to begin…." This immediately piped up the student's interest as every student in the classroom was now wide awake and sitting at the edge's of their seats.

Professor Port closed his eyes for a few seconds to think before opening them once again. "Ah, now I remember how the legend went. Very well then. This legend stated thousands of years ago when Remnant was still a world made out of stone and the four basic elements of dust existed: fire, ice, earth, and wind. This was still when the majority of humanity did not fully comprehend the full usage of dust and was still trying to comprehend the significance of dust. However, a selected few managed to understand the properties of dust usage and were to able to completely control the power of dust, wielding it as their weapon; their strength." Professor Port paused for a bit before continuing on with the legend, "Sadly, like every society in our world, there will always be one who thinks differently than the others, either in a positive or negative way. Similarly in this situation, one person out of the group managed to get their hands on something much more evil. What he or she created, no one knows….But, it is recalled that whatever this person created was named as **THE CHAOS HEART**, an unknown object that was powerful enough to pose a global threat upon the rest of humanity and inhabitants of Remnant. Luckily, the others of the group were able to discover of this sinister plot and managed to stop the creator of **THE CHAOS HEART** from potentially ending the world. What happened to the creator after…..no one knows. Yet, rumors have it that this person still exists in our world….always remaining in the shadows, waiting for the perfect to return…"

The class was now surrounded by an eerie silence as every student in class was currently trying to absorb this new information. Satisfied that he gave the students a new piece of information to reflect upon, Professor Port cleared his throat, causing the whole class to slightly flinch at the sudden noise. This was followed by the sudden sound of the ringing bell, leading him to clap his hands in excitement, "Well, that concludes our lesson for today! No homework for this class, my fellow hunters and huntresses and as always, stay diligent!"

After the remaining students filed out of the classroom, Professor Port returned to his desk and gathered his papers for he had no other classes to teach today. He pondered on the thought of what other exciting tales he should recount the next time he met his class again. Finally, he walked towards the cage in the corner of the classroom and crouched down, making sure that every lock was tightly secured and bounded when….

"...Professor Port."

The professor peered from his back to see that Dynos had still not have left yet. Smiling at the teenager's voice while returning back to his task, he replied, "Ah, Dynos! I thought you would stick behind! You always seem to be interested in my lectures! Anyway, what is it that you wish to ask me, Dynos?"

Dynos paused before asking in a quiet voice, "...How could **you** possibly know about **THE CHAOS HEART**? This story is rarely mentioned in the public and I doubt that you would be able to research the exact details and aspects of the story..."

Hearing the detailed question, Professor Port's smile only widened as he laughed in amusement, "Ah, so you are interested in this legend as well? Well my boy, I've only heard this secret legend from a researcher I met one day in the Vale library and it intrigued me so much that I thought I should share this so-called myth with the class that I am currently teaching! Now, may I ask why you are asking me such a thoughtful question, Dynos?"

Once again, Dynos remained silent for a few seconds before finally replying, "...This...myth...It peaks my interests as well...Would you be kind enough to reveal the name of the researcher who shared you this legend?"

"Mmmhhh...I would love to give you her name, but I don't quite remember it...Ah!" Professor Port exclaimed as he hurried towards the exit of the classroom before calling back, "Wait right here! I need to search for something!"

"...Very well…" Dynos gazed around the classroom while waiting for the professor to return. Eventually, he set his gaze upon the locked cage in the corner and narrowed his eyes when the cage met his line of sight. Pausing for a second, he slowly walked towards the bounded cage and sat cross-legged in front of it. After staring intently into the depths of the cage, glanced around him to make sure no one else was in the classroom before placing his hand onto the bars of the locked cage. Not to his surprise, a low growl could be heard within the cage as it now shook violently, indicating that whoever or whatever was inside wished to be set free. Dynos sighed before shutting his eyes tightly and contentrating real hard, blocking out any sound that would have reached his ears. If he were to do this, he would need to focus only on the creature within the cage and not be distracted by anythi-

"DYNOS!"

The sudden yell brought him back to reality, causing him to lose his concentration and turn towards the speaker. Standing behind him was a very confused Ruby peering behind his back while holding her textbooks. Dynos sighed to himself as he stood up and faced Ruby who slightly backed away from him. It seemed as she did not fully recover from the incident involving Dynos and Yang for she kept on averting her gaze away from him.

"...Ruby, are you afraid of me?"

The question brought her pair of silver eyes to gradually look at him and respond in a quiet voice. "...Sort of…"

There was a tense silence between the two students before Dynos clapped in approvement, much to Ruby's surprise. "...That is good. You did not try to hide the truth this time. I can see that you are learning from your errors…No doubt that is why Ozpin chose you as the team leader of team RWBY..."

The response caused Ruby to wearily grin as she rubbed her head in embarrassment. "Th-thanks for the comment! Um...are you coming with us to your next class, Dynos?"

Dynos stood up and stretched. "...Professor Port wished to give me something related to the story of **THE CHAOS HEART**. He should return right about…now."

The door of the classroom slammed right open as Professor Port rushed towards his desk, panting in breath. "Huff...Here you go, my boy! I have the name of the researcher who shared the legend with me and- Oh! Miss Ruby! I thought you've left for your next class already!"

Ruby had her jaw open the entire time until Professor Port mentioned her name. Shaking her head to concentrate, she said, "Oh, I'm just waiting for Dynos, Professor!"

"Ah, very well! No harm dealt!" Professor Port smiled as he handed a card to Dynos who simply nodded in appreciation. Looking at the clock, he suddenly yelled, "Dear lord! It's already been 5 minutes after your next class! You two better hurry along now. I'll give you a note stating that you two were late on my behalf."

Ruby beamed in appreciation. "Thank you, sir ! We should probably start heading towards our next class, Dynos!" When she got no answer, Ruby turned towards the hooded teenager and asked, "Dynos?"

Either Dynos was now deaf or he was not paying attention to what Ruby was saying as he stared at the card that Professor Port had given him. It almost look like he was frozen stiff just by reading the contents on the card as it took Ruby several tries to catch his attention before finally yelling in a loud voice, "DYNOS!"

This time, Dynos was brought back to reality and turned towards Ruby. "...Ah, my apologies. I seem to have not been paying attention to your shouting…"

Ruby rolled her eyes as she was given the note that would excuse them for their lateness from Professor Port. Pulling onto his arm, she said, "Come on, Dynos! We'll really be late for class now!"

Dynos merely nodded as the two hurried out of the classroom and towards their next class. But as they rushed past an open window, Dynos made sure that Ruby didn't have her gaze set upon him before crumpling up the card and throwing the ball of paper out of the window. And as it landed on the ground, left alone amongst the grassy hills surrounding Beacon Academy, the shadow of a figure appeared on top of the area where the crumpled paper sat and reached down to pick it up. Uncrumpling the card and reading its contents, the figure suddenly growled and spat onto the paper before throwing it back on the ground and taking a lighter. After a few tries, the figure finally succeeded in lighting the lighter and tossing it near the note. The bearer of the lighter watched the flames consume the card before suddenly turning and disappearing into the nearby woods.

However, it seemed as the flames did not destroy the entire card as the wind swept one loose part of the card away from the flames. Swepted by the winds, it beared the name: Adele Katsura.

**End of Chapter 8...**


	10. Chapter 9: A gathering of old friends

_Okay, so before this chapter starts, there are a couple of important news I would like to announce, so let's begin, shall we?_

**_As many of you may know right now, Monty Oum, the creator of RWBY, has been hospitalized in critical care and is now receiving the best medical attention possible. If you wish to know about what has happened, please check out Rooster Teeth's forum to read the entire passage as it will include all possible information about the situation. A donation pool and a link to a get well card has been included on the web page, so please do check it out. Described as a man who combined his talents and his initiative of creating something unique together, Monty is a hard worker who dedicated all his time in his series, RWBY. Thus, I wish to take a moment in saying "Get Well Soon Monty!" as he was the one to inspire me in writing this fanfiction. Let's all hope for the best, okay?_**

_Second of all, I'd like to happily announce that this fanfiction has just reached around 5,000 views and more than 30 favourites….I can't express how happy I was to read the statistics. It always fills me heart with content knowing that there are people who enjoy reading my story. So, thanks everyone! I couldn't have done this without you guys!_

_Finally, I want to ask a question to you readers, okay? So the question is: What do you think of Dynos so far? Do you think I'm trying to hard to make him op and a badass or is he the traditional anti-hero in a story? I would really appreciate your comments and replies on this question, so make sure to hit that review button and let me know what you think!_

'_Till next time my fellow readers,_

_-Pyrothemusical_

* * *

><p><strong>Something to FEAR about<strong>

Chapter 9: A gathering of old friends

"...Hmmmm…."

"...Dynos…"

"...So the G string is placed here on the bridge and the D string is placed to its right...Interesting…"

"DYNOS!"

"...Sigh...What is it now?"

"When are the others coming, Dynos? We've been waiting here for around an hour already and I'm starting to get bored!"

"...We have only been waiting for ten minutes…"

"Okay, fine! Regardless, I'm still bored, you know!"

"...They will soon arrive here. You must be patient…Now, the A string is placed right next to the D string and the E string is the last string that is placed on the bridge..."

"Sigh...You really are obsessed with that violin, aren't you?"

"..."

"...I'm going to take your silence as a yes, okay? Besides, we all know that-Oh! They're here, Dynos! Hey guys, glad you could make it!"

11:50 pm. Downtown Vale.

This was a time period where crime was popular amongst the streets of Vale. Without much authority supervision circulating the roads of the daily populated downtown Vale, crime rates were very high and it was not uncommon to spot criminals dealing trades with each other or groups of gangsters moving out together in little packs of 10-20 people. Of course, this did not exclude one of the most notorious crime lords besides the elusive Roman Torchwick and the now deceased Walter Danzo: Amartia Labelle.

She bared light green hair, ironically similar to the same shade of green that artists used to represent one of the seven sins: envy. The strands of hair, however, contrasted her orange eyes and pale skin which glistened in the silver moonlight. Wearing an elegant, strapless black dress accompanied by similar black dress shoes and expensive jewelry, Amartia smirked in satisfaction at the amount of cash she had just succeeded in snatching during her previous heist. She then stretched her arms and lazily jumped into her king sized bed, whistling while listening to her goons outside executing some of her…"disloyal" servants. Money could always replace one of those filthy monkeys, and if her servants dared to disobey one of her simple commands...BAM! They would be dead in 5 minutes.

Still, Amartia sighed in boredom as she crossed her arms behind her head. No matter what she did, she would never be able to catch up to Torchwick, the now number one head criminal wanted in Vale. Thanks to whoever had just killed Danzo a few weeks ago, Amartia now rose to the second most wanted criminal, only a few crimes short than Torchwick. But it seemed that even if she pulled off multiple heists, bribes or even terrorist acts, she would never overcome Torchwick's rank, always one step behind of following his path of crime. It was becoming quite annoying, and she hoped that she would be able to take care of this problem quickly enough. Regardless, Amartia shook off these thoughts and stood up, proceeding to walk towards her bathroom to take a shower. Perhaps she would then take the time to review any other heists that she was interested in….

Or, that would have been the case if she didn't just hear an explosion outside her room, causing the entire room to shake, almost on the verge of collapsing. Amartia was pushed back by the force of the explosion, causing her head to collide against the back of the wall. After a few seconds to recover from the sudden impact, Amartia immediately rushed outside to stare in shock at the scenery before her: broken debris was flying everywhere as everything was either scraped from the explosion or set ablaze by the now searing flames. Dead bodies were everywhere as her remaining goons were cowering behind two armored vehicles that had been flipped over by the impact of the explosion, using the vehicles as shelter from the debris. As Amartia quickly approached her remaining goons, one of them noticed her first and beckoned her to crouch besides the fallen vehicles.

"A-Amartia, we just-"

**SLAP!** "That's 'my lady' to you, filthy monkey! Don't repeat the same mistake, or I'll stick a bullet inside your clearly damaged brain!"

The goon quickly recovered from the slap and cowered in fear. "Y-Yes my lady! "

Amartia instantly relaxed and turned towards the remaining goons who were trying to seek cover from the raining debris caused by the explosion. Standing above her goons while ignoring the falling debris, she roared, "Alright, what happened now, you idiots?!"

The captain of the goons quickly snapped in attention by saluting in front of Amartia, quickly replying, "My lady, we were executing the 'monkeys' like you've ordered us to when out of nowhere, some kind of sniper started raining bullets on us! He already got 3 of our men and is targeting anything related with explosives! We located his position, but can't approach the sniper's whereabouts yet, so-" However, he didn't get to finish his sentence as a bullet pierced his head, causing his body to suddenly collapse as if it were a machine that had just ran out of power. Amartia and the rest of the goons stared at the corps of the now deceased captain when suddenly the building that Amartia was just in exploded, resulting in the building to catch on fire and collapse into rubble. There was a sudden silence on both sides of the now bloody battlefield when Amartia screamed in rage as she saw all her precious money burn in front of her eyes, "**GET THAT BLOODY BASTARD, YOU IDIOTS!**"

Her goons immediately obeyed her command as they all took cover in order to lure the sniper out. After a few minutes of absolute silence, their plan had succeeded as they saw shots fired from the rooftops of a once abandoned hotel. Nodding in determination at Amartia who was giving the indication to kill the bastard who had took her precious treasure, the goons quickly swarmed the building and began to climb the long, rotten stairs that would eventually lead to their mystery sniper. It seemed as if it was an eternity to reach the top of the building, but it was eventually done as Amartia's now remaining twenty or so goons positioned themselves in front of the door leading to the rooftop, guns locked and loaded to blast the murderer who had taken the lives of their many comrades. Amartia herself had equipped herself her signature weapons that she used during her many heists: dual flintlock pistols that could use the power of dust to enhance the bullets' power and level of magnitude.

"On the count of three, we burst through the door and annihilate the faggot who dared mess with us…" Amartia muttered darkly as her goons nodded in agreement.

"1…" Two of the goons pressed their bodies against the door to prepare their charge.

"2…" The remaining goons set their weapons upon their "would be" target as the pressure in the stairways now raised to a breaking point.

"...3!" When three was pronounced, the first two goons charged at the door, breaking it in the process while allowing the others to charge towards the rooftop. With the door out of the way, Amartia and her goons prepared their weapons to fire it upon...nothing?

Amartia left her jaw hanging wide open as her goons quickly swept the rest of the rooftop, viewing the entire scenery in search of the enemy. True to their thoughts, the entire rooftop was now empty with no one in plain sight. Not only that, but there was no evident sign that a sniper was here a few minutes ago: no sniper shells, no ammo cartridges, not even smears on the ground indicating that someone was either sitting or standing on the rooftop. Screaming in rage, Amartia bashed the holster of her pistols on the ground in fury as the rest of her goons watched in silence. After a few minutes of thrashing in rage and disbelief, Amartia seemed to recover from her tantrum and wiped the sweat from her brow with her arm, muttering, "...Let's go back down. We should probably leave, anyway…" The rest of the goons nodded and started heading back down the hotel through the stairways when suddenly every person on top of the rooftop could hear faint footsteps approaching from the stairways. Drawing their weapons, two of the goons cautiously opened the door very slowly to reveal….a girl?

That was the first thought that came to Amartia's mind, and she wasn't wrong. Standing in their path was a slim, tall girl with long, purple hair tied with silky, pink ribbons that flowed down her back. The girl wore jade, green robes that covered her entire body along with emerald gloves for her hands. Strapped to her back was what seemed to be a sapphire coloured sniper rifle, meaning…

"**YOU'RE OUR MYSTERY ASSASSIN, AREN'T YOU, BITCH!**" Amartia suddenly charged at the girl, weapons drawn by her side only to have the girl immediately leap out of the way and landing a few feet away from the group of criminals, pulling out her own weapon in the process. Now that Amartia had a good view of the weapon, it seemed to be a mixture of a sniper rifle and a cross bow, meaning that the weapon could fire both bullets and arrows at its enemies, mixing the two different kinds of projectiles as an offensive strategy. Clenching her teeth in annoyance, she ushered her men forward and screamed, "**GET HER, YOU IDIOTS!**"

Responding with shouts of determination and agreement, the goons opened fire on the mysterious girl, leaving a cloud of dust to form where the girl was standing. To their surprise, including Amartia's, the girl pulled her sniper rifle out and started continuously firing towards the barrage of bullets, each shot canceling a representative one from the squad of goons. Thus, the girl was able to protect herself until the firing eventually halted, leaving the goons flabbergasted at how the girl, who also appeared to be 20 years younger than them, was able to deflect such a devastating attack. As the group of goons continued to stare in disbelief, the girl smiled while shaking her finger, almost as if she was mocking the goons of their poor shooting. This caused the goons to erupt with anger as each of them took any kind of melee weapons, whether it was a knife, axe or even a sledgehammer and charged at the girl who continued to smile as the group was approaching her position.

However, just before the group of goons had arrived at their target, the girl's grin widened as she reattached her sniper rifle to her back and took two hunting knives out of her robe pockets. Except the strange thing here was not the fact that the hunting knives were inhumanly huge, as they were as long as the blade's length of a katana, but as to why they were glowing a grim, dark green colour that surrounded the entire blade. Grinning in satisfaction at her now open and vulnerable opponents, the girl sprinted towards the group of goons, one knife in each hand, and started spinning like a top ass her enemies approached her. Although it seemed impossible that the girl was able to survive an onslaught like that, Amartia's eyes widened as she stared at the fight that was currently happening right in front of her.

If one were to summarize the fight in a few words, he or she would only need to say one word related to how long the fight took: quick.

Immediately, the girl disappeared inside the group of goons and started hacking and slashing at anything that was near her, regardless if it were her opponents or just their weaponry. What was quite horrifying, however, was the fact that whoever or whatever was hit by her wild attacks started glowing the same green colour that surrounded her hunting knives. This only confused the goons even more as her attacks did not seem to hurt them that much as they had anticipated since her slashes only stung a bit. This emotion was immediately replaced by confidence and hubris as the goons thought that because her attacks did not seem to inflict any sort of pain towards them, they were far more superior in strength and power, resulting in them swinging their own weapons at the girl. This only caused her grin to widen, if it was even humanly possible, as she continued to slash each enemy until the last goon was glowing the grim. dark green that surrounded her hunting knives.

With everything in place, the girl suddenly jumped back from the group of men and sheathed her hunting knives at once. She then pulled her left sleeve, revealing a wrist-mounted mechanism in the process. Pointing the mechanism at the group of men, she brought one of her fingers to her lips, almost as if she was telling them to be quiet, and fired the mechanism.

The bullet instantly pierced the first target it hit, right through the skull. However, to Amartia's surprise and horror, the bullet seemed to suddenly make a 90 degrees turn as it hit the grunt to his left, piercing his heart. Although one could call this luck, it would soon turn into complete confusion as the bullet took down each one of Amartia's goons, striking them down in whatever vital part was open to the bullet. Whether it was the brain, heart, lung, neck, it didn't matter: the shot would instantly kill them. Very soon, there was a heap of bodies surrounding the girl and all that was remaining in the girl's way was Amartia, something that the criminal quickly figured out.

Withdrawing the mechanism, the girl redrew her sniper rifle and aimed it at Amartia. She barely rolled out of the way as the assassin fired, only leaving a bullet hole in the wall that would indicate where she had shot. Hiding behind the wall of the staircases, Amartia quickly regained her breath as she checked that her flintlock pistols were well prepared. _Holy crap!_ she thought as the firing continued, spraying the wall with bullet holes. _This girl is gonna kill me if I don't do something! Th-think, dammit! What can you do right now!?_ After a few seconds of thinking, Amartia finally came up with an idea. _If I throw one of these bricks towards her blind spot, she oughta turn towards the direction of the noise! I can use that to my advantage and finally kill that son of a b****!_ Deciding to go with the plan, Amartia slowly reached out for a brick and waited for the firing to stop. When it did, (Amartia presumed that the wielder of the weapon was reloading) she threw the brick to the girl's right and dashed to the left, weapons in her hands. Yelling in triumph as she saw that the girl turned her head at the brick, she screamed, "**IT'S OVER NOW!**"

_...Ping…_

What was supposed to end as a victory to Amartia ended in the complete opposite. Amartia's eyes widened as she felt a bullet pierce her heart, causing her body to immediately collapse in shock and sudden fatigue. Struggling to get up, she saw that the girl was now leaning down towards her, peering through the scope of her sniper rifle. What shocked Amartia though was that she felt the bullet through the **back **of her body, meaning that there was no way the bullet could have been shot with the girl's weapon. Was there possibly someone else lurking nearby?

It didn't really matter anyway as Amartia coughed out blood due to the injury she had just received. Gazing up to see the girl's smiling face through the scope, a sudden feeling of anger swept into her mind as she suddenly yelled, Y-YOU THINK YOU'LL GET AWAY WITH THIS!? I HAVE POWERFUL FRIENDS, YA KNOW! AND WHEN THEY FIND OUT I'M DEAD, THEY'LL MAKE SURE YOU WISH Y-"

She never got to finish her sentence though as the girl shot an arrow in her eye, killing her instantly and silencing Amartia for good. The girl did not show an ounce of remorse as she slowly got up and observed with interest at the now bloodied weapons in the dead woman's hands. Picking them up, she turned them over a few times before pocketing them into one of the pouches of her robes, one of the single benefits of the spoils of battle.

"**Clap, Clap, Clap**...Magnificent….If I were to rate that fight by fighting style, beauty and elegance, I would give it _cent pour cent_…."

Hearing the male, french-accented voice, the girl immediately turned around, weapons pointing at the hooded figure. However, they were then lowered as the girl recognised who was standing in front of her.

"Tsk, Tsk…_Ma petite fleur_, is this how you greet your fellow comrade, especially since it has been an eternity since we have last-"

The figure did not finish his sentence as the girl suddenly threw her weapons down and leaped at him, her face showing tears of joy with a heart-warming smile accompanied with them. Hugging the figure, she snuggled on top of his gray cloak while the figure tried to escape her grasp. After a few minutes of struggling, he finally sighed and chuckled, "Alright! Alright! I give, okay? If we are going to do this, at least let me get up first, _d'accord_?"

The girl nodded as she got off of the figure and helped the hooded figure to stand up, grinning in process. The figure made sure nothing was broken before sighing and taking off his hood and cloak. "It has been awhile, Ryfia…."

Ryfia merely smiled as she took a second to absorb his appearance. Much to her surprise, nothing had really changed about his physical appearance, even though their last meeting was five years ago. Although his face had changed a bit since the last time she saw her, the figure still had his black eyes with the fancy, short, black hair. He was still wearing his signature, black sharp suit along with the same coloured dress pants, portraying a stylish and elegant background. Along with his grey gloves and black dress shoes, one would think that the figure had came from a rich bloodline as everything about him sparkled fanciness. However, what completely stood out of atmosphere were his weapons. Attached to his side were two dual grey scythes wrapped together with metal chains, each the size of a regular sword. Glistening in the moonlight, both scythe's blade were forged into the shape of a crescent, very useful in case the wielder wished to decapitate his enemy's head. Of course, they were anything but simple dual scythes as they also had the ability to drain its targets lifeforce, leeching it through the blades and transferring it back to its wielder, making sure that he/she would never tire out.

Brushing off whatever remaining dust that was left on him, the figure finally looked back and smiled, beckoning Ryfia into a hug. She smiled back and immediately complied as the two of them embraced each together, enjoying each other's presence. Kissing her forehead, the figure said, "...I missed you for a long time, Ryfia…"

Ryfia merely nodded when she heard his voice and snuggled deeper into his arms. After a few moments of peace and quiet, the two of them looked at each other once more before slowly closing the space between them, their lips barely touching….when the figure suddenly put a finger on Ryfia's lips. Slowly withdrawing out of Ryfia's grasp, the figure froze before walking towards the edge of the roof. Followed by a confused Ryfia, the two of them peered down and reacted in completely different ways: Ryfia instantly blushing at who she saw and the other figure clutching the bridge of his nose before muttering, "_Mon dieu_...Was it really necessary to spy on us, Elizabeth?"

A light giggle could be heard as another figure jumped towards the roof, landing on both of her feet. "But of course, Alexander...It is necessary to keep a 'tab' on every single movement that you two make….After all, **he** has assigned me to do so, has he not…"

Standing before the pair was another girl with pale, white skin, short, white hair and bright, yellow eyes. She was dressed in a silky, blue dress and short, grey leggings. An interesting fact was that the same colour matched her own blue gloves and boots, almost making it seem as if she was painted entirely in blue paint. In her hand was some sort of leather book, completely sealed tight with metal straps along with a few cards sticking out of the pages of the book. Exchanging glances between the flustered girl and the teenager who was now groaning out loud, she added, "Of course, I knew he was just kidding….I merely wished to see your reactions to my statement…"

This caused Ryfia to widen her eyes at the statement at starting to gesture rapid hand signs, signifying her anger at Elizabeth for not telling them about this sooner. After taking a few seconds to understand her message, Elizabeth simply laughed before saying, "But what did you expect of me, Ryfia? I am always curious of observing what you two do...in private…"

Ryfia blushed even harder at her response and before they knew it, the two of them were playfully fighting each other. Alexander simply watched the two fight for a few seconds before suddenly appearing between the two girls and held the two apart in each hand. "Alright, enough of this child play, alright? If we are to argue about this, we shall do this after our leader has returned. Are we allowed to come to this agreement?"

And so time passed. Elizabeth sat against the wall and read her book while Alexander and Ryfia talked with each other, although it was mainly Alexander doing the talking. Ryfia was simply listening and nodding at his words, occasionally producing a few gestures to give an answer to his questions. This went on for a few minutes before the three of them suddenly flinched as if there was someone else nearby…

"...Oh my...I do believe our leader is approaching here very quickly…" Elizabeth murmured as she closed her book. "...Do you two sense him as well?"

The other nodded as Alexander stood up, taking a cigarette out of his pocket. Lighting it, he watched the smoke unravel from the cigarette butt before asking, "...Out of all of us, I think he has changed the most. Do you not agree with me?"

Ryfia simply gestured a few hand signs before giving a thumbs up. Analysing her gestures, Alexander chuckled as he extinguished the cigarette with his glove. "I guess that is true, _mon cheri_. He has felt the most pain out of all of us, especially since what happened to-"

There was the sudden sound of footsteps approaching the rooftop, causing the three of them to draw their respective weapons towards the source of the noise. However, they immediately relaxed when they saw who was standing in front of them.

"...I am glad that all of you could make it here in such short notice," The figure said before stepping out of the shadows and taking off his cloak. "...It has been a long time since team **FEAR** has assembled together, has it?"

"But of course!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she placed her book on her lap. "And what better way to celebrate our reunion than to finally meet each other after these couple of years! I can not express how content I am that you are still alive, leader!"

The figure smirked at her remark. "...You out of all people should know that I am not that easy to kill, Elizabeth…"

"_Mais bien sûr_!" Alexander chuckled as he crossed his arms together. "Why would we doubt our leader, the same person who granted us our amazing skills and powers!"

The figure sighed with a hint of annoyance before muttering,"...I do not know how many times we must repeat this, but I thought it was clear to all of you. Still, I shall repeat this again: The three of you must understand that I was not the one who granted your powers, but it was your potential that enabled all of you to unlock your own hidden skills by yourselves…Honestly, you will give me a headache if we were to continue this argument..."

Ryfia rolled her eyes and was about to gesture her signature hand signs when she was stopped by Alexander. Pausing for a few seconds, he sighed and said, "Very well, we shall talk about that later on. Before we are side tracked once again, I believe that you wanted to request our assistance with something, Dynos?"

Dynos bowed in appreciation before taking off his mask, revealing his bloody, red eyes. Looking at each of his combat partners, he repeated his previous statement,"...Once again, I must thank all of you for coming in such persistence. I wish to discuss our thoughts regarding the obstacles that will now stand in our path to victory….especially regarding with team RWBY and **Project Machination**..."

**End of Chapter 9….**


	11. Chapter X: A tribute to Monty Oum

_**...So, let's just say I didn't take the news so well…**_

_**On February 1st, 2015, Monty passed away with his friends and family right beside him after suffering a severe allergic reaction during a simple medical procedure, leaving him in a coma and eventually resulting in his death. He was a well respected man who was gifted with his talents of animation and especially well known for his ability to create awesome fight scenes for us, the viewers, to enjoy. One of the main contributors to RvB, Dead Fantasy, Haloid and of course, RWBY, he has put lots of his work efforts into providing his fans the best quality of entertainment possible, even when passing his work ethics and energy limit. **_

_**Although I have never met him personally nor have I ever attended a RTX convention as I live too far away, it was very easy to recognise his compassion and devotion in his works and animations when I first saw him. A few videos later, after hearing all the wonderful things he accomplished and the fact that he never lost hope of his goals, my devotion and respect to Monty increased while looking up to him as a role model.**_

_**...When his passing away was announced...I don't know how I felt anymore….**_

_**So many questions passed through my head...Should I feel sad about his death? Should I feel angry that there was a chance that he could have been saved if proper medical attention on his medical condition was analysed? Should I feel ashamed that a little part of me wondered what was the fate of RvB and RWBY? Should I feel depressed that another person that I admired passed away as well?...These were just a few questions I had in my head and I didn't know what to do….That is until I read this on the Rooster Teeth website:**_

"_**As for honoring Monty, we will do that in our own way. In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you simply do something creative. Use your imagination to make the world a better place in any way that you can. If you know Monty like we do, then you know he would certainly be doing that if he were able to." **_

_**This motivated me to continue **_**Something to FEAR about** _**in honor of Monty's hard work and to make sure he will never be forgotten. I will make sure to put all my hard work into this fanfiction as Monty has for RWBY and RvB. If that is not an effect that will push me to complete this story, I do not know what will…**_

_**...An inspiration to some, a "friend that you never truly had" to others...Monty's legacy will always be remembered amongst his fans and the RT community...There was something that I had learned through my childhood, and I'm pretty sure that Dynos, my OC, would agree with me…**_

"_**...Death is not simply the end...There is an entire new adventure waiting for us on the other side of life...The question will be if we will truly enjoy our new adventure…"**_

_**RIP Monty Oum. (1981-2015) **_


	12. Chapter 10: Can I really trust you?

_Well...looks like I have a bit of explaining to do…_

_So, the reason why I was gone for about a __**month**_ _was due to several...events that happened which took my time away from Something to __**FEAR**_ _about. And then there were several reasons as to why I couldn't focus on this story. Let's start with reason #1, shall we?_

_To put it in a few words, school seems to hate me. ALOT. So far, my school work has been piling up on me and I had to make sure I was up to date with my work, considering what my parents would do if I didn't. (remember that for later) Then, I started other activities, which were forced by my parents, and had to reorganize my time schedule._

_Reason #2: I had a minor surgery on my cheeks since the flesh on the cheeks were scratched, causing it to bleed and rot. Fun, right?_

_Reason #3: My parents want me to stop writing this story…..Yeah, this isn't a joke. My parents, the ones who persuaded me into writing a story for fun, wanted to stop 'wasting' time and focus on school since "education is the most important thing in the world"._

_BULLS***._

_To make things worse, they started searching RWBY up and thought it was stupid and that Monty Oum, the creator of RWBY, was wasting his time and should have done something else more productive. They even commented how someone must be insane and crazy if they had actually enjoyed watching the web series._

_...This was said after his passing…Let's just say I was not happy after that…._

_I won't say anything more considering how pissed I am right now, so I'll let you guys read in peace. But keep in mind that even though this fanfiction won't be updated as quickly as it used to be, I'm still active, trying to provide a story that hopefully you guys will enjoy._

_-Pyrothemusical_

* * *

><p><strong>Something to FEAR about<strong>

Chapter 10: Can I really trust you?

"...Trust...If I were to create my own definition for that word, I would describe it as...something you will rarely find in people...For every person that I have met in my life, I see the same thing in their eyes...Lies, secrets, things that they do not wish to share with others...It is to my belief that people, both humans and faunus alike, cannot live in the true bliss of reality without sacrificing their dignity, honour and everything that they care for...Of course, I am no exception to this concept, as the one thing that **FEAR **relies on...are discreet secrets…. "

"...So, what is it that you wish to tell me now, Yang?...I do believe that the others are waiting for us in preparations of our mission, but you seemed to be very persistent in having a private conversation with me, considering you pulled me onto the rooftop in this very harsh weather right now ..."

Yang gritted her teeth in annoyance as the clueless teenager stared back at her, hood and mask covering his entire face. It had only been a day since his meeting with the rest of team **FEAR**, and the next thing he knew, Yang had literally dragged him by the hood onto the rooftop for a little 'conversation', meaning that either she was going to knock him out flat with her foot or punch him right in the face…

Not that it really mattered to Dynos. He actually wanted to have the opportunity to talk with Yang again one more time, especially since he knew that she was the most cautious about his position as a team member on team RWBY. He had to admit though, he was expecting this moment to come far sooner than he had predicted, considering how furious Yang was after their little 'brawl'. However, he snapped all unnecessary thoughts and focused right back to Yang as she slowly spoke in a calm voice.

"So...you're probably wondering why I haven't hit you straight in the gut right now…"

Dynos took a few seconds of consideration before replying, "...Yes, I am rather curious as to why you are not trying to kill me, especially what had happened in the past…"

Yang sighed to herself, muttering in frustration at the fact that Dynos could be the most upfront person she had ever met, always stating the obvious and speaking in his monotone voice. "...Look, I'm probably not the best person with words, but I want you to answer this question with the truth, alright? No lies, no trickery, nothing that will make us believe in something that is fake, got it!?" Dynos simply nodded to represent his idea as Yang slowly took a deep breath before opening both of her eyes. "What do you value team RWBY as?"

Dynos blinked in surprise, completely surprised that Yang would ask such a deep question. What did he think of team RWBY, anyways? They weren't his enemies, but they weren't exactly his allies or friends considering what had happened these past few weeks. So, what was the answer to his question? He couldn't leave her on an empty string and he had just assured her that he would speak the absolute truth. Lying about it would give her false hopes that she could trust him, but speaking the truth was almost as dangerous as stating a lie. After a few minutes of thinking what he would say to her, he had finally reached an answer to her question.

"...I think of team RWBY….as a team that I cannot fully understand…"

Yang blinked in surprise at his answer, taken aback at how uncertain his answer was. This was further proven by the fact that Dynos himself seemed unconvinced that his reply fully answered her question, crossing his arms in discontent at his own answer. Sighing as he brought his hand to his face, Dynos paused for a few seconds before turning away from Yang and looked up to the gray clouds covering the once clear sky.

"...The four of you work together as if you have worked with each other for a very long time. Yet, you have only known each other for roughly a few years. This almost makes it seem like you are all blood related, excluding the fact that you and Ruby are half sisters…" He was right when he saw the surprised look on Yang's face and nodded. "...Yes, I do remember that you two are not related by blood. I possess a brain Yang, so do not look so surprised if I can remember certain details…"

The look of confusion quickly turned to a look of defence. "Hey, I wasn't thinking that you were-"

"Returning to the topic in hand," Dynos continued, interrupting Yang in the process. "...You have placed your trust in your comrades, allowing you to interact with them very well these past years. Due to the amount of information you have shared between each other, team RWBY has accomplished many great things. Working together as a team, sharing very precious memories together, succeeding in various challenges...I'm sure I could list every accomplishment that you four have acted out…" The remark caused Yang to flash a little smirk at Dynos, but it quickly turned to a frown when she heard Dynos state, "...So, what would happen if this so-called 'bond' between the members of team RWBY were to suddenly...shatter?"

Yang immediately zoomed right towards Dynos and picked him by the hood of his cloak, turning him around in the process. "What are you trying to say!? That one of us might betray the others!?"

"I did not say that there would be a possibility of a member of team RWBY betraying the others, Yang." The menace in his tone made Yang drop the hood of his cloak and slowly back away from Dynos as he started to advance on her. It might have been a trick that her imagination was playing on her, but it seemed as it the wind had suddenly died out, leaving nothing but an eerie silence between the two teenagers.

"...The true question I am asking is what if something were to happen that would result in the four of you fighting one another, causing in a four-way battle to occur?" The two of them were now standing right next to the edge of the roof, staring right into each other's face (or in Yang's case: Dynos's hood). "If something were to happen to, say, all three of your partners and you could only choose to save one of them, who would you choose to save, Yang? Since you value your teammates as 'special' friends, wouldn't that friendship not allow you to make the decision?"

"Wh-What kind of question is that?" Yang yelled out loud, eyes flashing with anger while causing Dynos to flinch at the sudden increase in volume. "First of all, how would you know what kind of experience that would be like!? I doubt you were even in the same situation, given at how oh so 'powerful' you are, Dynos, so don't act as if you understand everything! Oh, and by the way, we wouldn't get ourselves in that kind of situation! Even if we were stuck in that kind of situation, I would choose to save all of them, even if I wasn't given the option-"

"YOU ARE SPEAKING WITHOUT REALIZING THE POSSIBLE RESULTS OF YOUR ACTIONS, YANG!" Dynos suddenly roared with annoyance and anger. Yang stared at him with huge eyes as he continued to speak while clutching his head in his hands.

"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN THIS WORLD, YANG, EVEN IF THE CHANCE OF IT OCCURRING ARE LESS THAN ONE PERCENT! I HAVE EXPERIENCED THINGS THAT YOU WILL THINK ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO HAPPEN, BUT THEY HAVE! DO YOU REALLY THINK, THAT IN YOUR GIVEN SITUATION, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SAVE ANY OF THEM IF YOU CONTINUE TO THINK LIKE THIS!? THE RESULTS THAT COULD OCCUR AFTERWARDS ARE THOSE THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO BREAK A HUMAN MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY!"

Dynos finally stopped yelling and stared at Yang, her face full with horror and realization. For once, Yang was completely at a loss of words, being the first one to truly experience Dynos's anger. It seemed as if he was speaking the truth when he had mentioned that his emotions rarely sparked up, considering he had his own special mask to seal his emotions away. It was as if his emotions were held back in a tightly closed bag and someone had just ripped a gash in the bag, spilling its contents in the open. The amount of rage she had just witnessed from Dynos was such a surprise to Yang that it left her silent for a few minutes. Blinking in realization at what he had just said and what damage it had inflicted on Yang, Dynos turned his gaze away from the blonde teenager and spoke in a calm tone, "..I should not have said those things to you, especially in such a harsh tone. They say that lies hurt people than the truth does...but maybe that is not true in this case…"

Looking back at Yang who was still frozen in shock, Dynos hesitated before slowly taking off his hood, revealing the white mask with red veins covering his eyes and nose. This brought Yang back to reality as she stared at Dynos's face before remembering what could possibly happen after, causing her to back away but failing to do so due to his firm grasp on her shoulders.

"Do not be alarmed, Yang," Dynos said as he noticed her sudden caution around him. "I will not turn back into a monster just like I have in the past. I merely want to tell you something." He paused once again before saying, "What I said before is true, but it is not always true in every situation. There are multiple possibilities that could happen due to our actions, regardless if they are the correct choices or not. Thus, I cannot blame you for your action and you must forgive me for my sudden outburst."

Yang slowly nodded as Dynos took his hands off her shoulders. Gesturing her to sit down, the two of them sat on the floor of the rooftop and stared at the still cloudy sky, remaining silent for a few minutes. Eventually, Dynos spoke up again in his once again emotionless voice, "...The thing that I fear most for you four...is that…" Dynos paused his sentence as he looked back down at his hands before looking directly at Yang's eyes. "...I'm afraid that...I'm going...to put….you guys in trouble…."

Time froze for Yang to allow her to process this information that was sent to her. After a few seconds, she asked, "...Wait, what do you mean 'in trouble'?"

Dynos continued to gaze up at the cloudy sky before replying back. "...There are some people in this world that would stop at nothing in order to see my corpse hanging from a thread...and you can say that there have already been some times where my life was in danger because of these people…"

Concern was shown in Yang's eyes as she exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell us any of this, Dynos!? If we knew about this, we would have protected you from these-"

Dynos cut her off, stating, "That is the problem, Yang….If I asked the four of you for your help, what do you think the result would be?" Not giving her time to answer the question, he continued, "...The four of you would turn into personal targets as you now have connections with me, possibly resulting in team RWBY assigned as targets to be assassinated by others. By helping a person you have only recently met, would you allow that danger to happen to any of your teammates, especially those who you have created a deep 'bond' with?"

As expected, Yang remained silent at this question, probably unable to answer the question. Knowing that it would not be the best idea to repeat another conversation that had the chance of obtaining the same results as the last one did, Dynos stood up and proceeded to slowly walk back to their dorms when there was a sudden tug on his hood. Turning his head back in response, he saw Yang standing up with a determined look on her face as she slowly said, "...Even if we're dealing with death here. you're not a complete stranger to us anymore, Dynos. You're a part of team RWBY now and there's no way we're abandoning you because we might be in danger, okay? Besides," Yang suddenly grinned as she punched Dynos in the shoulder. HARD. "At least now you'll have to share all your secrets with us, right?"

Dynos stood still for a few seconds when he heard her response. Waiting for his reaction, Yang peered into his face to see any sort of hint that he had reacted to her answer. Then (to her own surprise), Dynos groaned and facepalmed himself, something that Yang was not expecting at all. Shaking his head, he later said, "...You are sometimes very intolerable to be with sometimes, you do realise that, right?"

Smirking at his sentence, Yang laughed when a sudden beeping sound came from her scroll. Taking it out of her pocket and opening it, Yang read the incoming message for a few seconds before pocketing it again. "Well, looks like missions are being handed out again and Ruby wants all of us to meet up in the dorm room. We can continue this talk later, but we gotta go now, Dynos!" Pulling his hand suddenly, the two of them descended the flight of stairs that were leading to the rooftop before Yang mentioned, "Oh yeah, if you want an answer to your question, that's one of the things that makes me...special, I guess? I mean, everyone's special in a way, right?"

Dynos remained silent at her question as he pulled his hood back down. But as the two of them ran to meet up with the others of team RWBY, a single thought was stuck in his head. _...Special...huh...It is a general description of….__**what**_ _I am…_

* * *

><p>"Finally, you two are finally back!" Ruby said as the remaining two members of team RWBY had returned from the rooftop. "Come on, we just got our mission and we're about to see what it is!"<p>

Yang simply grinned at her sister's enthusiasm while Dynos nodded in acknowledgement. As the two stood right next to each other, Ruby couldn't help but notice that there was a change in her sister's mood, as if the conversation between her and Dynos affected her in a positive way since Yang was now more relaxed when Dynos was near her, the opposite of her usual tensed mood whenever Dynos was mentioned or seen in the same room with her. Smiling at the two, Ruby revealed a sealed envelope to the others and exclaimed, "Well, gang! This is our mission letter! Let's hope we get a good one this time!"

Opening the envelope and emptying the contents revealed a sheet of paper containing the mission details which Ruby quickly snatched before it fell to the ground. She read it quickly while the others watched her insightfully. Finally, Weiss was the one who asked, "Well, Ruby? What's our mission?"

"Aww…" Ruby groaned as she passed the sheet around. "We're stuck with Grimm extermination again, guys. It says that we need to clear the Grimm that are surrounding a village near Forever Fall."

Yang frowned at the news. "Again!? What is this, like the third or fourth time we received this kind of mission!? Why can't we get something more exciting!?"

"I'm sure they have their reasons," Blake calmly responded back as she read the mission slip before handing it to Dynos. "Although, it is odd that we are the only ones to keep on receiving these kind of missions."

"Well, be thankful that we weren't forced to participate in some other useless event like last week," Weiss muttered. "I swear, I still have nightmares from helping those miners trying to fix their 'problem'."

"Come on, Ice Queen!" Yang exclaimed while she stretched her arms. "They were having trouble dealing with Grimm, so we had to help them. It's our job, anyways."

"It was a single beowolf, Yang!" Weiss stated coldly as she fixed her eyes on the blond. "And what did I say about using that name!"

Once again, the two began to argue, causing Ruby to sweatdrop at their heated conversation and Blake to only roll her eyes and continue reading her book. Glancing sheepishly at Dynos, Ruby asked, "So, what do you think of your first mission, Dynos?"

"...Why does this mission...focus specifically on Grimm extermination?"

The question got everyone's attention as the girls turned to Dynos who stared at the mission details, deep in thought as he reread the sheet. Looking back at the girls, he added, "...I mean, if there was another way to force them to leave the area, would that be allowed?"

It was Blake who spoke up this time as she slowly shook her head. "The thing is, Dynos, is that the grimm will not spare anyone in their paths. They're creatures of chaos, striving for the destruction of others. I don't think we would be able to persuade them to leave anyways…"

"Besides," Ruby added as she swung her arms around her body, "Isn't it easier just to take them out? I mean, dashing outside with my 'sweetheart', tearing through hundreds of Grimm...that would be so much fun…" Ruby sighed, her eyes becoming dazed as she imagined the fight scenery in her mind. A hundred beowolves against team RWBY plus Dynos, the pure thought made her shake in excitement.

Yang rolled her eyes as Weiss went to snap the girl from her daze. "You'll have to forgive Ruby for her over-excitement," she said to Dynos who continued to study the mission script. "She's always like this when she's talking about her weapon, Crescent Rose. "

Dynos slowly nodded in understanding as he rose his head once again. "...I see...May I ask the four of you a simple question?"

All members turned towards Dynos and casted a questioning look. It was Weiss who replied this time in a curious tone, "And what is it that you wish to ask us?"

"...If these Grimm were actual humans or faunuses, people who are very similar to the four of you, would you still be able to kill them, just like you would do to these creatures?"

The question left shocked expressions on the girls' faces as Dynos ended the question with a tense atmosphere surrounding his body. Finally, Weiss said, "I mean, if these guys were really evil and we had no choice, we might. But it would be a last resort, of course! We should always spare lives instead of taking them!"

The room filled with tense silence as Dynos processed the given information in Weiss's response. "...I see. Thank you for answering the question." Turning around to exit the dorm, he added, "...When and where shall we meet to travel towards our prepared destination?"

Ruby quickly thought for a few seconds. "Um...maybe in 3 hours? They prepared an airship for us, so we can meet up outside at the main avenue and-"

"Thank you for informing me." Dynos interrupted Ruby as he continued to exit the room. "I have a few preparations to make. I shall see you all at the given time and destination."

After he had left the room, Ruby asked the others, "Do you guys think he's okay? He's been a bit...of these few days."

Yang smiled and waved, gesturing it was probably nothing. "He probably just has a lot on his mind right now. We should let him think for now and concentrate for the mission."

Blake cast a smirk as she returned to her book that she was previously reading before being interrupted by the meeting. "Since when were you the caring type to Dynos, Yang?"

"Hey!" Yang exclaimed, crossing her arms. "I did care about him...I was just cautious, that's all."

Laughing, Ruby smiled as well, "Well, we should probably prepare as well. Besides, I can't wait to pull out 'my sweetheart' once more!" This was followed by a few giggles of excitement, resulting with the others rolling their eyes in exasperation.

* * *

><p>A simple growl was heard outside as Dynos paced throughout the gardens of Beacon. It was a very lush garden, filled with all different types of beautiful flowers and plants. All featuring different colours that contrasted each other, all filling the area with gorgeous views and wonderful sceneries. It was a complete contrast to the thoughts that were now flowing in Dynos's head.<p>

Dynos clenched his teeth, hiding the sorrow in his mind. Simply killing those creatures as if it was a game….Sure, their motives were justable, but was it really necessary to kill all Grimm in their own paths. Was it right to judge these "soulless" creatures just by their own clouded judgement?

No. He should not be the one to say such things. After all, was he no better than those who wished to exterminate the Grimm. Killing all those who stand in his way, showing no mercy to his enemies; no wonder why he had a bounty on him right now, attracting the attention of every bounty hunter in the area. Taking a deep breath, Dynos sat down on a bench and reflected on his conversation with team **FEAR** the previous night….

* * *

><p>"<em>...and that concludes everything so far. Do you all understand the situation now?"<em>

"_...I shall make him pay for trying to kill the two wonderful twins as well as trying to harm Junior. He shall wish that he did not order such imbéciles to finish the job and-"_

"_Calm yourself, Alexander. If we are to act so rashly, we might as well surrender to Ignacy and the others. Think clearly before speaking."_

"_...Forgive me, my friend. I believe my anger got the best of me. We all realise how much Junior and the others have done for us…"_

"_Yes, Alexander, we do. And we __**will**_ _extract our revenge on these people. But for now, let us listen to our leader."_

"_Thank you, Elizabeth. Moving on, we need to discuss the problem with team RWBY now….What do you think of these girls?"_

"_..."_

"_I agree with Ryfia. They do not seem that bad, but are you sure they are ready to be included in this fight, leader? The sheer pressure and violence may drive them insane."_

"_Do not underestimate them, Elizabeth. Although they may be only junior huntresses, they possess great potential and may be of an asset in helping us win this war."_

"_But that is the problem, mon ami! If they do not possess that much experience in combat, is it not better to leave them be and continue our own path by ourselves? I believe that even without their help, we would able to win this fight, despite the possible casualties."_

"_And you prove my point, Alexander. I wish to reduce the possible casualties in this upcoming fight. I do not wish to lose any of you in battle and I can not bear worrying about the usage of our resources."_

"_...Sigh...D'accord. I guess I will allow them to join us."_

"_Thank you, Alexander. I know how difficult it may be to trust others sometimes. After all, you did learn from a prime example…What do you think Ryfia? Elizabeth?"_

"_..."_

"_I will agree with everyone else. As long as they do not become a burden, they are welcome to join us….Now, what do you wish for us to do during your absence, leader?"_

"_I am glad you have asked that question….Ryfia, I need you to scout the area in search of additional leaders that may be worthy in recruiting. It is better if we are to be prepared for what is soon to come. Also, be on the lookout for Adele Katsura; she was last seen with Professor Port while he was researching the __**CHAOS HEART**__."_

"_..."_

"_Good. Elizabeth, may you research more about the effects of Grimm transformation? I know that this is out of your usual research area, but I need the data as quickly as possible."_

"_I will see what can be done, leader." _

"_Thank you. Now, Alexander. I have received data from our scout that there may be an attack on Beacon Academy very soon. I need you to tail Ignacy's goons and see if they know anything about it. We need to make sure we gain Ozpin's trust so his students will not be harmed if this attack were to occur."_

"_A chance to test my spying skills? Heh….Mais bien sur! I thought you would never ask!"_

"_Thank you. There is one more thing I would like to add...When I give the signal, I want all three of you to meet me here again...I wish to test….team RWBY, to see if they are worthy of becoming our allies."_

"_Oh? But what kind of test, leader? Do you mean a written test or a memorization test or-"_

"_Elizabeth, I believe Dynos does not mean a test of knowledge. Let us allow him to finish his sentence. Continue what you wished to say, mon ami."_

"_...The test will be an evaluation of their teamwork and combat skills...I hope you three all know what that means…"_

"_..."_

"_But of course."_

"_Yes."_

"_Very well, I place my trust with you three. And if they succeed this test, make sure that they come unharmed and unscratched. We will reveal everything to them and prepare them of what to come."_

"_...And if they fail the test, leader?"_

"_...Why ask the question, Elizabeth? If they fail the test, if they do not succeed in passing, they will surely pay the consequences. And when they do, finish…"_

**End of Chapter 10...**


	13. Chapter 11: The grim reveal

_So….this is a bit awkward._

_Hey everyone, it's Pyrothemusical. But first, let me just say a quick thing before we get this chapter starting…_

_**HOLY CRAP, I AM SO SORRY!**_

_Let's just say school, parents, and other outside events took up my time these past two months, the duration of my absence, basically not allowing me to work on this chapter for a long time. Every day I was trying to squeeze in a little time in order to post this chapter for you guys, but it took a long time before I finally finished this. So….yeah._

_Anyway, mini rant over. I'd just like to thank everyone who has currently read and favourited/followed this story until now. We're up to around 42 favourites and 50 followers, so yay! =)_

_Also, I'd just like to say that this chapter took about 16 pages to write, so I hope you guys will enjoy it! The writing may be a bit sloppy in a few areas, but I hope it'll live to your expectations!_

_Now, for future news: Chapter 12 will be posted (hopefully) in a month or so. This is due to the chapter being a major fight in this story, so it will take a long time to write. Just be a bit patient and I'll deliver it to you guys as quickly as possible!_

_Well, I'll stop wasting your time now and let you read the latest chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this one and as always, have a nice day._

_- Pyrothemusical_

* * *

><p><strong>Something to FEAR about<strong>

Chapter 11: The grim reveal

"...Why is it that people hate grimm so much? Answer: They are beings that humanity fears due to their destructive strength and cunning intelligence. Because of this, they are described as creatures of pure darkness: creatures that must be destroyed in order for mankind to advance. And although this is true in many cases...it does not apply to all of the grimm. Not all of the grimm are terrible...some are calmer than others….some wish to be left alone...and some will even help those who are in need of some assistance when they are left in the darkness...friend or foe. How do I know all of this?...Let's just say I've had more experience with the grimm than others...so much experience that you could technically call me a 'grimm' as well...And if you knew my true identity….you're not completely incorrect. "

Forever Fall. Covered with trees that were blooming with red-coloured leaves while tall, glooming mountains surrounded the scenery, the forest was quite a sight to take in. Adding the fact that the weather was still cloudy, it made the entire forest stand out as if the entire area had caught on fire due to its dust-red appearance. Of course, team RWBY was not here to take in the scenery in front of them; their main purpose was to complete the mission. Thus, after the five of them had stepped out of the airship and signaled the pilot to take off, they all prepared their combat gear for battle.

"And here we are, team!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly after all five of them were finished with their preparations. "Forever Fall! The destination of our mission! Well, shall we begin this mission?"

Without waiting an answer from the others, Ruby used her semblance to zoom right into the forest, leaving the others literally in her dust. After waving the cloud of dust out of their faces, Weiss and Yang sighed as the rest of team RWBY followed after their leader.

"Ugh, that dolt!" Weiss complained out loud, rubbing her eyes in frustration. "Remind me the reason as to why she's our leader, again?"

"Weiss, we already went over this, so unless you want me to recount that list again-" Blake started, only to be stopped by a glare from the heiress.

"Alright! Alright!" Weiss responded, biting her lip in annoyance. "I was just saying…."

"Well!" Yang interrupted the conversation before it would have taken a darker turn. "Back on topic. where's the grimm that we need to take care of, anyway?" Turning towards Dynos who was currently remaining silent as they continued to walk towards the forest, she asked, "Hey, what do you think, Dynos?"

"..." Dynos simply remained silent to her question as he continued to walk, glancing down at the ground while he was walking.

"Dynos?" Yang asked again, in an attempt to gain his attention. "Are you even paying attention!?"

Once again, Dynos continued to be oblivious to her question, walking at a now faster pace than the others. This caused Yang to suddenly run towards him and grabbing him by the shoulder, turning him around to face her. "Dynos! Did you hear my question!?"

Startled, Dynos immediately responded back with a shaky voice. "Wh-what? O-oh, yes, The grimm...that we need...to take care of. I don't know where they are..." He mumbled the last of his sentence before averting his gaze away from Yang while removing her hand from his shoulder, allowing him to continue to walk towards the direction their leader had ran off to.

Frowning, Yang casted a questioning look with the others who shared the same look of surprise on their faces. It was Weiss's voice that finally broke the silence. "Wasn't that the first time that he stuttered?"

Yang rolled her eyes at the question. To ask such a pointless question at a time like this, it annoyed her. "Really, we're in the middle of a mission and all you care about right now is the fact that this is his first time stuttering, Weiss? I swear to-"

"No, Weiss has a point," Blake suddenly said, shocking Yang as to why she would agree with Weiss. "Dynos is usually calm and collected, even in the darkest events. He wasn't even emotionally affected when he told us that he had killed another person, not even flinching at our remarks of his cold blooded nature. So for him to be this paranoid over a normal mission...something must be wrong."

Blinking in realization, Yang turned her gaze upon the hooded teenager with concern in her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I didn't even notice how emotionless he usually is...Sorry, Weiss. I thought you were just making another insult.."

"Hey!" Weiss retorted, folding her arms in annoyance. "I don't always insult everyone, okay!? Now, what are we supposed to do now?"

But her question would not be left unanswered as Ruby came sprinting back, suddenly appearing in front of the four of them. This caused Weiss, Blake, and Yang to jump in surprise while Dynos glanced up from the ground, still remaining his usual quiet self.

"Well team," Ruby started off as she pulled out the mission poster. "According to the mission script, we should be in the right area, so we probably should be able to find them soon. I guess we can just wait awhile until they decide to show up and...Dynos?"

The question caused the others to glance at Dynos. The hooded teenager was currently staring straight into the forest as if he was examining what was hidden among the flora of the forest. This lasted for a few seconds when Dynos suddenly pulled out Kurai homura and stated, "...They are closing in on our location...Prepare yourselves…."

At first, the others of team RWBY were confused as to what Dynos had just said, but their confusion was quickly replaced with realization when they noticed that the ground was shaking with strong vibrations. Soon, it was accompanied with loud and strong howls echoing from the forest, slowly getting louder as time passed. Quickly, the original members of team RWBY pulled out their representative weapons and took a battle stance in preparation for what was to come.

"Okay, I know that the grimm usually travel in herds, but this is ridiculous!" Yang gestured with her arms to emphasize the word "ridiculous". "How many are coming, anyway!?"

"...I would estimate that around 100 grimm are currently approaching us, primarily consisting of Beowolves and Ursa Majors. However, there is also a mixture of other grimms amongst the group, including those that should not exist in this area of the forest such as Boarbatusks and Creeps...How unusual…" Dynos muttered to himself as he continued to walk forward, getting closer to the entrance of the forest.

"WHAT!?" Weiss yelled in shock. "Wait, how did you even-"

"They are here…" Dynos interrupted her sentence and immediately stopped walking, suddenly standing frigid like a stone statue. "...The four of you must stay back….I will take care of this problem…"

Ruby eyes widened at the statement and tried to grab him by the cloak in order to stop him at whatever he was planning to do. But to no avail, she failed to do so in time, only yelling in despair, "Wh-Dynos!?"

However, it would not have mattered if Dynos had listened to the command since the horde of grimm had finally arrived to confront them. First came the bloodthirsty, red eyes that were peering through the shadows of the forest at them with distaste, then came the appearance of multiple waves of grimm pouring out of the forest. Just like Dynos had noted, there were various types of grimm, ranging from the miniature Boarbatusks to the gigantic Ursa Majors.

Team RWBY's reaction was what was to be expected: each of them recovered from their surprised states and instantly got into a defensive battle stance, preparing themselves for the grimm to start attacking However, what happened next surprised each of them: Dynos suddenly drew Kurai homura vertically in front of him and whispered a few words to himself. Although this action confused the members of team RWBY as to why he would do such a thing before the big battle, their confusion would soon be quickly replaced with even further shock when they witnessed what happened after.

Each grimm that was a member of the horde which was currently sprinting towards them immediately halted in their tracks, almost frozen in time. And time did seem to freeze in the surrounding area as not a single creature or person was moving: either frozen by shock or just by the mere tension that was between the two colliding forces. However, the grimm seem to not be completely stopped in their tracks as many were baring their fangs or growling loudly in a sign of aggression towards Dynos. Strangely, he paid no attention to these actions: after all, he had to work quickly in order for the plan to work.

Stabbing Kurai homura straight in the ground caused several cracks to appear around the stabbed area, but Dynos showed no concern of this. Instead, he slowly and cautiously took one step towards the horde of grimm who noticed this action and immediately hurled themselves at the hooded teenager. He could hear the others yelling his name to warn him of the incoming danger that was headed his way, but paid no attention to this. Slowly bringing his left hand up and pointing it at the charging horde of grimm that was coming his way, he muttered, "...Halt…"

The mere command was enough to stop the grimm in their tracks once again. This time, however, they remained in that position as Dynos slowly walked up to the horde, only to stop at mere meters away from the leading grimm.

"How is he doing that?" Weiss whispered to the others as they continued to watch the situation unfold in front of them.

"I-I have no idea," Ruby answered back, the tone of her voice mixed with excitement and fear. "There's no way anyone can do that without being torn into shreds first."

"But shouldn't we help him?" Yang suddenly asked the four of them. "If what he's doing suddenly doesn't work, he's going to end up finished by that amount of grimm."

"I...think we should just let things play out for awhile," Blake slowly replied to Yang's question. Seeing her shocked expression, she hastily added, "I mean, he seems to know what he's doing and it would be bad if all we were to do was to interu-"

Blake never got to finish her sentence though for there was a sudden movement in front of them: the lead grimm apparently could not be held back anymore as it decided to lunge at Dynos. Although the girls were immediately prepared to help him, it soon seemed to be unnecessary as Dynos roared, "LEAVE!"

The mere word echoed throughout the field, causing team RWBY to cover their ears in retaliation. But they weren't the only ones affected by Dynos' shouting: every single grimm that was surrounding them immediately fled the area, howling or growling in pain as if the shouting had done more than damage their hearing. No sooner than a couple of seconds, the entire field was empty with only team RWBY and the hooded teenager himself remaining. Nodding to himself and retrieving Kurai homura from where he had last left it, Dynos turned and was not surprised to see the girls with their jaws dropped to the ground and their eyes almost bulging out of their heads.

"...I believe our mission is finished now?" He asked in a grim tone, indicating that whatever he had done just now was not pleasant.

"Wh-How-When-" Blake could only manage to stutter words in an attempt to speak. However, it was obvious what had just happened left them all feeling: shocked, confused, amazed...and scared.

"Okay, how did you actually do that!?" Luckily, Weiss was able to recover her composure and return to her usual personality in order to ask the question. But once again, Dynos was not paying any attention to said speaker since his attention was directed to the clearing of the forest. Again.

"H-Hello!?" Yang walked up to him and waved her hand in front of his hood. "Are you even going to answer our questions!?"

"...We are not finished yet," Dynos muttered, drawing Kurai homura in the process. "Something else is coming our way. Something big. Something violent...Be ready."

"Hey wait! Are you even going to give us some answers or did you just forget our-"

"It is here. Prepare yourselves."

Now, team RWBY had met their fair share of grimm. Meeting a large variety allowed them to extend their knowledge on the grimm, especially their attack patterns and their weaknesses. This helped them when fighting the grimm and more particularly, helping them avoid a messy end. The thing that they saw that came charging through the forest's clearing...let's just say they weren't prepared to react at what they had just witnessed.

First thing that came to mind? A praying mantis. That was the size of a car. And was dripping blood out of its jaws. Which was also staring at them with its red, bulging compound eyes.

...Good first impression, no?

On closer inspection, the grimm was entirely covered in the traditional grimm armor: gray platings covered with strange, red symbols. Multiple legs sprouted out at the abdomen, each leg looking as sharp as the tip of a spear. Of course, the grimm had the similar characteristics of an actual praying mantis: two antennas stuck out from its head and its mandibles, the huge, bloody jaws, clearly stuck out. And evidently, it possessed the main defence of a praying mantis: its claws. The size of an actual scythe and each glowing in a dim, muckish green colour, the grimm bared its claws and took a battle stance, positioning it as if it were to attack at any given moment.

"Okay," Yang broke the silence with a weak voice. "I was not expecting that."

"What. Is. That." Ruby asked, each word containing a mixture of astonishment and anticipation.

"...That is a grimm, Ruby."

Silence filled the area as each member of team RWBY looked at Dynos with their eyebrows raised. But it seemed that he had no intention of mocking their leader for he himself was also in a battle stance, cautiously watching the creature.

"...Thank you, mister obvious," Weiss complimented with a sarcastic tone. "I think what Ruby meant was what **kind** of grimm is that? You know, a type of grimm that none of us has ever met before!?"

"...A death scythe," Dynos finally answered her question, eyes still not taken off the now identified grimm. "Often mistaken as a deathstalker due to their similar physical appearances, it is gifted with incredible speed and attacking range. As you can clearly see, the large scythe-like claws it has not only provides offensive measures, but can also be used to intimidate enemies as well, forcing them to flee in terror." He paused his little description, as if a sudden thought had came to his head. "I did not think a grimm this powerful would appear here, especially in the area of Forever Fall….Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang...all of you need to slowly back away from it...I will take care of this myself."

"Wh-What!?" Yang protested, horror drawn on her face. "Are you crazy!? You just said that this thing was powerful, and you think you're strong enough to face it alone!?"

"Besides," Weiss added. "If we're going to retreat right now, why aren't you coming with us!?"

"...Death scythes are very persistent when it comes to battling, meaning that it will want to fight us no matter what we do. That being said, if we show any sign of fear or hesitation, its courage will increase as if it is literally feeding off of our emotions. Thus, it would be better...if the opponent is only one person."

Immediately, Blake yelled in protest, "No! We are not leaving you alone with that thing, no matter what hap-"

"Yes, you will!" Dynos roared back, causing all 4 girls to flinch at his harsh tone. It was at that moment when they had finally noticed how tense their friend was. "It would be suicidal to rashly charge in without any devised plan! By fighting it 1 on 1, we may be able to tire it out and succeed in winning the battle."

"Oh, so your plan is better!?" Yang retorted back, fury in her eyes. "Blake's right, we work as a team! Or did you suddenly forget your promise on the rooftop already!?"

This question confused the others, but the mention of the rooftop caused Dynos to snap back. "Look, this is not the time for-"

However, he never got to finish the sentence as something out of the corner of his eye dashed towards them, making him bring up Kurai homura in response to the attacker. The sound of claws meeting solid metal echoed in the area as the attacker was revealed to be...another Death scythe?

Eyes widening in horror, Dynos turned to his left just in time to see the first Death scythe sprinting to his side, claws raised as if to strike the teenager. It seemed that there was another Death scythe lurking near the area that was drawn to the commotion. Jumping out of the way, Dynos brought Kurai homura in front of him, uttered the same chant he used during his fight with Yang, and sent numerous flaming crescents in the direction of the two Death scythes. But to no avail, the two grimm were able to easily dodge the flaming projectiles and continue to advance on him, jaws clicking in excitement at the thought of devouring their prey.

"Dynos!" Ruby yelled as he dodged another swipe in an attempt to cut his head clean off. "You can't take both of them at the same time! We're coming to-"

"NO!" Dynos ordered them while sending another wave of flaming crescents towards the direction of the two grimm. "For the love of dust, stay put and wait until one of us win this fight!"

Ruby grimaced as team RWBY continued to watch the fight take place in front of them. It seemed to be a close match at the start, but as time passed and the fight progressed little by little, they could see that Dynos was becoming exhausted from the fighting due to his harsher breathing and slower movements. Turning to her teammates with a worried yet confident face, she said, "...Let's go help him."

Followed by a few responses agreeing with her order, team RWBY pulled out their weapons and dashed behind the two Death scythes, preparing to attack their backs in order to give Dynos time to gather his strength again. As Dynos saw this, he also realized with horror-stricken eyes that one of the Death scythes was beginning to unravel its thin, sharp wings that spread out across their abdomen. Knowing what was going to happen next, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "GET BACK!"

But by then, it was already too late for team RWBY to retreat. The moment Dynos had tried to warn them, the Death scythe fluttered its wings at a rapid pace, causing an eerie, screechy sound to echo around them. Too much for their ears to handle, the girls immediately halted in their tracks and covered their ears with their hands, wincing in pain at the shrill sound. Dynos however, was able to block out the sound in order to see the other Death scythe turning around to face his teammates and bring its claws towards them, intending to puncture their heads with its scythe-like hands.

Time seemed to slow down for Dynos as he immediately appeared right next to them, almost as if he had teleported out of thin air. And with eyes widening in horror, team RWBY were able to witness what happened after as Dynos suddenly pulled all four of them back while stepping in front of them to shield them from the blow….with his own body.

The aftermath...was not pretty.

The moment the Death scythe's claws made contact with Dynos' body, they instantly pierced through, almost as if they were knives cutting through a piece of meat. Blood spouted out of his mouth, making him cough it out as it trickled down his chin while huge gashes were created at the location of where the claws had pierced his body.

Looking down at the newly produced wounds with his vision now becoming a bit blurry, Dynos barely had enough energy to turn around to face the horrified girls and mutter in a low voice, "...Didn't I tell you to run away?"

And with that said, Dynos felt everything going black as his conscious slowly faded away. Knowing their prey was just about dead, the Death scythe tossed him away like a rag doll, falling onto the rough ground.

A shocking silence. Then…

"DYNOS!"

Using her semblance, Ruby quickly dashed towards her wounded friends, causing the two Death scythes to instantly raise their claws in attention. However, Ruby proved to be too quick for them as she was able to reach Dynos and carry him over her shoulder back to where the other three were standing.

"Yang! Blake! Give us some cover!"

It took the girls a few seconds to respond before nodding with determined faces, eyes full of rage and hate at the two Death scythes. Charging at their representative enemies, each girl soon entered a fight against their enemy, weapons drawn with the intent to destroy. The Death scythes also did not hesitate when they fought against the members of team RWBY; it was obvious that these creatures were not showing any mercy in spilling the blood of their opponents.

"How is he, Weiss?" Ruby practically had tears in her eyes when she saw the wound with her own. It was like a huge pair of scissors decided to cut him in the middle and had left it like that, not bothering to finish what it had done in the first place.

Weiss shakingly brought her hands to her slightly pale face, carefully analysing the fresh wound while trying not to lose her lunch in the process. After what seemed to be an eternity for Ruby, she responded, "...I-it looks like he'll survive. H-he was lucky enough to take the attack and have his vital organs uninjured. " Shaking her head to focus, Weiss continued quickly, "But at this rate, he's going to die from blood loss for sure! Ruby! Call Beacon Academy this instance and tell that we have an emergency situation at level 3!"

A level 3 situation in the hunter and huntress' code meant that the team currently had an injured teammate who was in an critical state while the others were fighting. Stammering at the command, Ruby quickly replied, "R-right! I-I'll do that right now!"

While Ruby pulled out her scroll and explained the situation to whoever in the name of dust was on the receiving end, Weiss took out a white cloth out of her skirt pocket and looked for any debris in the wound before using the white cloth to apply pressure directly to the wound. Remembering the regular procedure in order to prevent further blood loss, Weiss checked Dynos' breathing and monitored his heartbeat, making sure that he was recovering. To her relief, his breathing and heart rate was steady and his face was gaining a bit of colour.

_Good._ Weiss thought as she threw the now bloody, red cloth and fetched a new one. _He should be able to live through this. Let's just hope Beacon Academy will send some help soon._

"Just finished calling them, Weiss!" Ruby notified her teammate as she pocketed her scroll away. "They'll be arriving soon and they told us to just sit tight and fend off the grimm until-"

"Ow!"

"YANG!"

Hearing their friends' alarmed voices caused both girls to turn towards the battle, and it wasn't going as well as planned. Apparently, while Blake and Yang were both pushing their opponents back, the two Death scythes suddenly decided to chain their attacks together, performing perfect synchronization in the process. This turned out to be extremely difficult for the two girls to defend against their attacks as they were too quick and agile to keep track of. This turned the battle into a neutral standoff before Yang lost her footing and tripped, leaving her distracted and not paying attention to the incoming attack from both Death scythes.

"Weiss, take care of Dynos for now! I'm going to go help the others!" Not waiting for an answer, Ruby took out Crescent Rose and used her semblance once again to reach the battle scene, intercepting the two attacks from the enemy. However, this was soon to be proved as Ruby's own fault as one of Death Scythes noticed her advancement in order to assist her sister, causing it to intercept her semblance. This was followed with the grimm knocking Ruby over with its head, making the girl trip and fall onto the ground, weapon now out of hand's reach. Realizing that the team leader would be the more suitable prey, the grimm screeched towards its comrade, notifying it the new target. With both grimm now advancing on Ruby, the others tried to reach there before them in order to defend their friend, but they were too slow for the grimm as they quickly dashed towards her, claws drawn and jaws clicking furiously for their new addition to "things that were our prey and we devoured them" list.

Eyes widening in horror at the sight of her enemies suddenly jumping towards her, Ruby only managed to hear her sister yelling her name in despair and a fury of footsteps as she quickly closed her eyes, waiting for her inevitable death. _I guess this is it for me_, Ruby thought in her mind as both Death Scythes brought their claws down with the intention of ending their prey's life…

**CLANG!**

"...Dynos?"

Recognizing Weiss's surprised voice, Ruby slowly opened her eyes and curiously looked at what had just happened. A little later, she had to blink her eyes a couple of times before rubbing them with both of her hands. There was no way this could have been real. She was either dead right now or so close to death that she was hallucinating some strange things.

But no, this was neither a dream nor a hallucination: it was reality. Standing in front of her was Dynos, hands shot out to stop both claws from piercing Ruby. He was breathing heavily and his face was still covered in blood, but he seemed to have recovered from his wound. Apparently, he had also discarded his cloak in order to arrive here in time to save her, revealing his usual blood-veined mask and purple hair. The only thing that confused Ruby was...when did he have a tail? A scaly one, to be precise?

That was when it hit her. Both physically and mentally.

"_However, I would like to not share anything personal yet, at least not now._"

He told her that in the past. Now, she understood why.

Spouting out of his back were two huge, purple and black wings, each approximately the length of a human's arm. As sharp as a two-edged sword and completely covered in scales as well, Dynos' wings were completely spread out, gaining the attention of everyone at the scene, regardless if it was the rest of team RWBY or the grimm. His tail was also no laughing matter, due to it being completely surrounded in spikes and a sharp end at its...end. And his wound...had it just disappeared? There was not a single trace that Dynos had been injured earlier due to the fact that he was now completely unscratched. But the main thing that drew her attention was the feeling that Dynos suddenly emitted out of himself: true, cold fear.

_W-why am I feeling this?_ Ruby shuddered, clutching her shaking hand with the other. _I-It feels like if I were to go against him, I-I would die just by looking at him!_

Dynos however, did not pay any attention to his sudden reveal of his appearance to the others. Instead, he slowly looked up at the two grimm who were standing in front of him and blinked.

Then…

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Dyons suddenly roared at the two Death scythes with new found power, throwing them back in the process. They were able to land without receiving too much damage, but were still fazed by his throw . While his opponents were busy trying to recover, Dynos reached towards his mask and easily broke it with his hand, the shattered fragments scattered across the now uneven floor. Eyes now blood red and filled with hate, Dynos sprinted towards his enemies, approaching them at a pace that didn't even seem to be human.

His first target? The bloody Death scythe that gave him a new scar. He reared towards its side and kicked it, causing it to flinch at the impact while being blasted towards its comrade. Not giving them any time to recover, Dynos appeared right above it, hands forming a fist together as he smashed it into the ground. He wasn't finished with this one though. No...there was going to be more pain that would follow.

Quickly snatching the body of the first Death scythe, which was now twitching weakly in a show of mercy, Dynos repeatedly stabbed its abdomen with his tail, each stab resulting with a screech in pain and misery. This bloody act continued until the Death scythe was no longer, in which Dynos simply tossed its body to side before focusing on the second Death scythe. It seemed as though it was enraged with what Dynos had done to its ally as it was immediately dashing towards him, claws drawn out while screeching in anger, almost as if it were yelling a battle cry.

_Idiot..._ Dynos thought while the Death scythe continued to charge at him. _You're digging your own grave at this point...Whatever, this is __**your**_ _death after all…_

Spreading his wings, Dynos flew up in air, only a few meters above his enemy. Smirking at its confused look, Dynos concentrated the energy in him to his mouth…

...and blew a burst of black flames towards the grimm.

If the grimm could have showed emotions, it would have been very surprised to see what was coming at it. But sadly, the grimm was to slow to react at the attack as it was suddenly burning, consumed in black flames. Screeching in pain, the grimm tried to extinguish itself, only to have the flames continue to burn brighter.

As he softly landed on the ground, Dynos remained silent for awhile before flashing an evil grin. "...ha...ha...ha...HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Dynos darkly chuckled a bit before laughing maniacally at the scene before him. This was too good! His opponent trying to save his own life, only to fail while trying. Eventually, the grimm finally stopped moving, meaning that it had finally used all its energy and died. But that wasn't good enough for Dynos. He wanted more. He wanted to punish the grimm even more, even if it was a corpse right now. He wanted to make it pay for how much pain it had done to him and his friends. He wanted it to suffer for eternity and when it was finally given relief, he would be there to-

"...D-Dynos?"

Someone's voice caused him to turn around, making him look for the bearer of the voice. Oh, was it a new victim he could tear apart? Maybe it had done as much damage as this slain enemy did! Perhaps he would exterminate this specimen as well in order to make it feel what pain it had done to him! Yes, that's exactly what he was going to-

...It was Ruby.

Realizing who had just spoken caused Dynos to return back to reality, reverting his eyes to the normal shade of purple when he had his power under control. Blinking at her a few times, Dynos took the time to study her face and saw what he feared his entire life.

Ruby was afraid. And that fear was directed at him.

Suddenly, his excitement turned into panic as he turned towards the others. They too, just like their leader, were also portraying fearful expressions on their faces, directed to the newest member of team RWBY. For once, Dynos remained motionless, almost as still as a statue. The harsh reality was too painful for him to handle. And with each second that had passed with team RWBY staring at him as if he was now a complete stranger, painful memories started flowing back into his mind.

_MONSTER! FREAK OF BIRTH! YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SCUM! WHY IS THIS PIECE OF TRASH EVEN ALIVE!? BURN! LEAVE! DISAPPEAR! JUST DIE ALREADY! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!_

"...No…" Dynos suddenly took a step, realizing what he just done. What he had just showed to the others.

"...No." Dynos was now shaking madly, clutching his head in agony as if he had a massive headache.

"...NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Dynos screamed from the top of his lungs, causing team RWBY to flinch at his sudden outburst. Eyes filled with shame and anger, Dynos spread his wings out and quickly flapped them, allowing him to slowly rise off of the ground.

Realising what he was intending to do, Ruby cried out quickly in attempt to stop him, "Dynos! Wait-"

But at that moment, it was already too late; Dynos had already taken off, leaving the area of where the battle had just occurred. Turning around in order to prevent the wind of getting into the eyes, team RWBY quickly turned back only to find Dynos missing from the area. The single hint that notified them that he was here before were the corpses of the two Death Scythes and the numerous indents in the ground caused by both him and the creatures of grimm.

It took team RWBY a moment to recover before returning to their normal selves. Ruby shook her head in confusion and fear, bringing her hand to her mouth in order to comprehend what had just happened. "...Dynos…"

And just like that, Dynos had evidently showed his true colours and identity to the others during that battle. But the acknowledgement of the truth came with a price, and that was the potential disappearance of their teammate and friend forever…

**End of Chapter 11...**


	14. Chapter 12: Judging one's will to fight

_...25 pages. More than 9500 words. The amount of time in total spent estimated to be around 2 months._

_...Why did I not separate this chapter into two different parts? Right, because I was a fricking __**idiot**_ _for not following what my head was telling me to do._

_Anyways, hey guys. Pyrothemusical here again. Hope you guys didn't miss my 2 month hiatus/work period/trying to prepare for exams/attending the co-op program for some reason. Let's just say some things took a lot longer to deal with and I had to leave fanfiction writing to the last moment._

_Also, let me just warn any new readers that a lot goes on in this chapter. So I would advise you to read the previous chapters to refresh your memories of the story. But hey, this gives you more leisure reading to do, so that's a good thing, right?_

_...No?...Okay… =(_

_Oh yeah! Forgot to mention this! I'm currently having a difficult decision of whether or not I should either write the next chapter immediately, which I have planned out, or if I should cool down from this chapter and wait until Ruby Vol. 3 comes out. That way, I can use the new information to my advantage in making the story much better. I would be also writing side chapters to __**Something to FEAR about**_ _and maybe even a crossover fanfiction between pokemon and RWBY revolving around the multiverse theory. No promises though. =)_

_So leave a review about this chapter and your opinion on what I should do next. I hope you guys all have a wonderful day and I'll see you guys next time._

_- Pyrothemusical_

* * *

><p><strong>Something to FEAR about<strong>

Chapter 12: Judging one's will to fight

"St-stay away from me!"

"D-Dynos, it's just me. You don't need to freak o-"

"I SAID TO STAY AWAY!"

_*Crash*_

"DYNOS!"

"I...I'm a monster….I shouldn't have been born...I shouldn't have been given these powers….I SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ALLOWED TO LIVE!"

_*SLAP!*_

"Don't say that, you idiot! If you were dead, how do you think that would make me feel!?"

"..."

"You didn't even stop to think why you had to do it, did you?! Look, just because you killed someone out of defence doesn't make you a bad person! And besides, regardless of what you do, you're still the same person that became my best friend in my eyes, Dynos!"

"Hah...hah...Th-thanks for that."

"...I think I should be the one thanking you, Dynos. If you hadn't saved me from Ignacy's men, I wouldn't be standing here right now. So, you technically saved my-"

"Shhh! I hear something up ahead! Hide!"

Team RWBY safe and sound. Hordes of grimm retreated towards the outer region of Forever Fall. New type of grimm discovered. Dynos first critically injured, then a rapid recovery from his wound. His true identity: a type of faunus with wings, perhaps? The signs of a dragon as his faunus identity. The absence of Dynos resulting with team RWBY worried and confused.

These were only a few key points that Ozpin kept in his mind as he read the mission report that summarized team RWBY's last mission. Many times he frowned at the details that were given to him, some even causing him to mentally scowl at what had just happened during the mission. But at the end, Ozpin could only sigh in exhaustion as he took the time to absorb all the content given to him.

_It seems as if my hypothesis on Dynos was correct,_ Ozpin thought while glancing out of the window of his office. _...Out of all the things that he could have been, I did not expect him to be the creature that I imagined him to be. Not even the word "faunus" is able to describe what he truly is…_

The sound of his office doors opening caused him to look towards said sound, revealing the culprit to be Glynda. Noticing the shocked and distraught expression on her face, Ozpin knew what was going to happen next and prepared for the onslaught of questions.

"Professor Ozpin, please explain your reasons for not warning team RWBY in advance about Mister Felder's…'special' identity! And please explain to me as to why you have not sent any of the students after the runaway student!"

"Well Glynda, allow me to answer your questions in order. For starters, it was only an assumption that Dynos was neither human nor faunus. Despite it being a major possibility, I did not want to startle any of the students, or even Dynos, over a speculation. And, I thought it was fair for Dynos to be the one to reveal his identity to the others. After all, he was the one that persisted to keep it hidden from team RWBY."

Glynda opened her mouth to speak up, but immediately disregarded the idea of speaking as the headmaster was not finished with his answer. "As for your second question, we have...absolutely no idea where he could be hiding. It would be almost pointless to send the students to find someone with no details of their location since the possibility of finding them would be...very tiny. Of course, I have already sent out multiple camera drones to search the entire Beacon facility and surrounding areas in hopes of revealing his location. Sadly, it seems he has decided to conceal his presence somewhere else, meaning he could have already left Vale by the time we have finished this conversation…."

Again, Glynda tried to speak up, only to be interrupted once again by a knock on the office doors, causing the pair to turn towards said doors. Casting a quick glance at Ozpin who nodded in reassurance, Glynda stated, "You may enter."

The office doors slowly creaked open as the person walked into the office door, ignoring the surprised looks on the others' faces. After a few seconds of silence, it was Ozpin who finally spoke up.

"Well,...this is a surprise."

* * *

><p>A full 24 hours. The amount of time since the departure of Dynos and the discovery of his true identity. So far, there was no news of his current location and no explanation of his appearance. Time seemed to have passed so quickly since team RWBY was patched up and released from the medical bay. As soon as they had recovered all of their strength, all 4 members rushed towards Professor Ozpin's office for permission to search for Dynos only to be denied said permission. And despite the protests of team RWBY, Professor Ozpin ordered them to remain in their dorms for the time being since he wished to think over the situation carefully before going after the now absent member of team RWBY.<p>

Needless to say, team RWBY was not taking the current situation so well.

"I can't believe that fool would just-" Weiss didn't even try to finish her sentence, only slamming her fist onto the windowsill in frustration. The others only watched her as they also were trying to process what had just happened that day.

"...He didn't even bother telling us about this…" Weiss eventually continued as the others still remained silent. "Does he really think of us as people who can't be trusted or was all of that speech about teamwork just a whole lie!?"

"...I'm sure he has his reasons, Weiss…" Ruby started slowly, only to cower at Weiss's ferocious glare.

"Ruby, you're the best leader and friend I could have ever had, but do you really think we can trust him after this!? This wasn't the first time he betrayed our trust and he even had the nerve of leaving us without any explanation! I mean, he could have at least admitted his errors or-"

"Weiss. That's. Enough."

Yang's cold voice was enough to silence Weiss once again as she looked at the blonde in confusion. Standing up from her bed while twirling a comb of hair with her finger, Yang continued, "...Look, no matter what, we're not abandoning him, okay? The last thing we need is our team splitting up again."

Blake nodded her head in agreement. "I agree with Yang. Dynos saved our lives during our battle. if it wasn't for him, we might not have lived to see another day. We owe him that much, at least."

Ruby and Yang both gave answers acknowledging the statement, then turned towards Weiss for her answer. After a few seconds of silence, Weiss simply sighed, "Fine, we'll chase after him. But he owes us some answers, alright!?"

"Don't worry," Yang gritted her teeth while clenching her fists close together. "He **definitely **owes us some answers now. That much I can guarantee.,,"

Ruby frowned as she saw the expression on her sister's face. "Sis...are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Blake gave the blonde a questioning look before responding, "Well for starters, your hair's on fire."

Eyes widening in realization when she checked if it was true, Yang immediately extinguished the flames surrounding her hair and replaced her expression with a cheery grin. "Nothing's wrong, guys! I'm just a little worried about Dynos, that's all! I mean, we all should be, so yeah!"

The other members of team RWBY gave her questioning looks, but quickly dismissed it as the truth. Yang however, was in deep thought once again as she turned her gaze to her own hands.

_So was everything about 'trust' all a huge lie, Dynos? I swear, you're like a dice that never stops rolling, never giving us a direct answer. Besides, did you really think that we would have rejected you just because you were different? ...Teammates. That's what you called us. And I thought teammates were supposed to rely on each other…._

Yang's thoughts were intercepted when an announcement was being broadcasted from the speakers that usually announced the morning news.

_Would team RWBY please report to Headmaster Ozpin's office immediately? Again, team RWBY to Headmaster Ozpin's office. Thank you._

After the announcement was broadcasted, each of the girls looked at each other before quickly exiting the room. Even without the announcement telling them, they knew what it was about: Dynos's location.

* * *

><p>Team RWBY was currently lined up in front of Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch as they waited in anticipation for the news. Eventually, after what seemed to be like an eternity, the silence was broken when Professor Ozpin decided to speak up.<p>

"I know that all of you have been waiting anxiously for an answer as to where Dynos has disappeared to." He paused for a second, then continued. "Fortunately, we were able to learn of where he was last spotted and-"

"Where he was **last** spotted!?" Yang blurted out, the fury now burning in her eyes once more. Her friends looked at her in concern, but Yang ignored the warnings. "I'm sorry headmaster, but couldn't you have told us this sooner before!?"

"Yang Xiao Long!" Glynda glared at the blonde as she stepped forward. "Do not interrupt the headmaster again or there will be severe consequences!"

Yang silently cursed to herself and backed down. Blake was the next one to speak up, speaking in her normal, calm voice. "Forgive her, Professor Glynda. But as you can see, we are all worried about him and wish to know of his location as soon as possible." Nodding to Professor Ozpin, who had a slightly amused look on his face, she added, "Please continue, Professor Ozpin."

Professor Ozpin nodded in reply. "Very well. Now, we have learned that Dynos has not yet left the downtown Vale area. However, it seems as if he wishes to remain hidden for none of our cameras were able to capture his movements. Fortunately, it seemed as if he has exhausted himself since the cameras were able to track his location near the central park." During the explanation, Professor Ozpin pulled out several images of the scenes: a figure, supposedly Dynos himself, flying in the dark night; another picture of the same figure jumping over the rooftops of the buildings, its movements too fast for the cameras to record them; and a final picture of a now clear picture of Dynos standing in the center of the central park.

"Now, I'm sure that the four of you are all eager to chase him down and bring him back to Beacon," Professor Ozpin glanced at team RWBY, observing the expressions on their faces before continuing on, "But I must remind you all something very crucial. Dynos may be in a state where he no longer trusts anybody. He may attack anyone because of this, even if they are people he once knew. Thus I wish to give you all this warning: precede with caution, but do not use any means of force unless necessary. He is still a student of Beacon, regardless of his past actions and physical appearance."

Taking a deep breath, Professor Goodwitch took out her scroll and touched it a few times before giving team RWBY the necessary additional information. "We have prepared a bullhead located near the Main Avenue for your means of transport in order to reach downtown Vale. It will be leaving momentarily, so I suggest that the four of you only bring what is necessary for your trip and hurry along before it decides to take off without you. I also advise you to keep this information to yourselves as we are the only ones who know of Dynos's true identity; I presume he had a reasonable motive for keeping it a secret and would probably like to keep it that way."

The four girls took a moment to process all of the now given information before nodding and giving their thanks. Turning around, they quickly exited the office in order to prepare for their departure for downtown Vale. When the last member of team RWBY exited the office and the two adults were left in silence, it was Glynda who first spoke up.

"...Do you believe he was telling the truth? About preparing them for what is about to come?"

Ozpin grimaced as he sat back down in his usual chair. "I do hope so, for his sake. If he were to be lying about what he has just told us, we have just sent our students into a death trap. And he will have a lot of explaining to do after all of this has passed..."

Glynda only nodded in response as the two of them reflected of their conversations with their "guest". The ticking of the clock was the only sound that interrupted the looming silence over the office….

* * *

><p>Time passed so quickly for Ruby, almost as if someone had twisted the gear controlling the flow of time. First they were quickly boarding the bullhead for their trip, now they had split up and were running around downtown Vale, searching every possible place where Dynos could have hidden himself. The trip seemed to have taken no time at all, as there was very little she could recall from it. Not like there was anything to recall from the trip: it was dead silent during their time in the back of that aircraft. Of course, they had already searched the central park: it was the first place they knew that would be most reasonable to search. But after having no luck in finding Dynos, they decided to separate and try to find Dynos in an attempt to find him in as little time as possible. Sadly, it seemed that it was not the case as it was now quickly evening and they still did not have any luck.<p>

However, that was not what concerned Ruby the most right now. Nope, not even the possibility of not being able to find their friend bothered her the most. What **was** bothering her the most though was how they would treat Dynos after the fight yesterday. Each member of team RWBY had changed drastically from the event. Normally, they would be talking, laughing, and having a good time all together, but now the usual cheerful team was dead silent, almost as if the event had sucked all their happiness out of their bodies.

_I know that Yang is persistent in finding Dynos, but I don't think it's for the reasons that I think they're for. _Ruby grimaced as she used her semblance to dash around the streets, weaving through the civilians in her way. _I mean, the anger she had in the eyes….they were similar to when we heard Mom passed away…._

Shaking her head to rid of the now depressing thought in her head, Ruby continued her thoughts. _And then there's Weiss and Blake...I don't know if it's just me, but they seem to be much tenser whenever Dynos's name is mentioned. Well, Weiss in particular. We almost had to practically restrain her when we were ordered back to our dorms...And then there's….me…._

Ruby suddenly halted in her tracks, returning to the average human's walking pace. What did she think of Dynos? The question was constantly repeated in her head since that day, and she couldn't come up with an answer. She didn't view Dynos as a traitor, that's for sure: she herself understood why he lied to the others about his powers. Yet she didn't know what to think of the emotions that radiated off of Dynos during the battle between him and the two Death scythes. True fear, a huge amount of despair, and an enormous killer's intent: that was what she felt from Dynos when he exterminated the two grimm. It was like Death had appeared in front of her and had only revealed a part of its power: the strength that Dynos had in him could not be measured, and it scared her.

But Ruby wasn't scared of Dynos from what he did to the grimm. No, she was scared of how he was acting now. The shame and anger pointed towards himself was evident when she had called for his name. And she could assume what had caused it: something related to failure. After all, she knew exactly what it felt like….

Ruby shook her head once again. _No, don't think about what might happen. Think about what will happen, Ruby. You can't change his past, but you might still be able to change what he plans to do from now on._ With that thought stuck in her head, she continued her search for Dynos.

Unknownst to her, a cloaked figure sitting in the shadows of a rooftop watched as Ruby sped right along the roads. Typing quickly in their scroll, the figure suddenly stood up and backed up, disappearing from an outsider's view and vanishing into the shadows, almost as if the shadows had swallowed the figure whole…

* * *

><p>Nighttime. The lights now the only source of light for team RWBY as the sun had already set a couple of hours ago. By now, the entire team was exhausted from searching at least every inch and corner of downtown Vale and were currently resting on a few benches. Despite their best efforts however, they were unable to find Dynos during the whole search: it was like he had erased his presence off the face of Remnant.<p>

"Huff...How long have we been searching?" Yang asked out loud in deep breaths as she glanced at her scroll. "Damn it….Already 9 pm, huh? Where the heck could that guy be hiding?"

"I...have absolutely no idea." Weiss replied while crossing her arms to support her answer. "For all we know, he could have left the area by now and is currently traveling to one of the other continents!"

"...Do you...really think he decided to just leave us?" The depression in Ruby's voice indicated her feelings as a dark shadow surrounded her entire body. "I mean, how he acted after the fight with the grimm...I don't think he's coming back..."

Suddenly, a hand on her shoulder could be felt, accompanied by Blake's calm voice. "Don't think like that, Ruby. We will be able to find him, even if it takes all our energy to find him."

Weiss rolled her eyes in disbelief at the thought. "Yeah, because we're doing such a good job at doing that right now." This was followed by Ruby becoming even more depressed and Blake and Yang shooting dark glares towards Weiss's direction. "Hey, at least I'm being honest, okay? Do you want us to have-"

"Oh! Hey guys!"

Eyes widening as they recognized the bearer of the voice, each member turned towards the source of the voice, revealing it to be Jaune Arc. He was not alone: the rest of team JNPR were also with him as they casually approached team RWBY.

Nora was the one to speak after Jaune, giggling with her usual cheery grin. "Hey you guys! Whatcha doing out here so late?"

Suddenly remembering the Headmaster's warning of concealing the purpose of their search, Ruby frantically searched for an excuse and said, "Ummm...we're on...a mission….to retrieve...a missing object that's totally not a person or anything. Yeah! That's right!...Heh...heh..."

All members of team JNPR sweatdropped at Ruby's frantic search for an answer. Jaune scratched the back of his neck awkwardly."Um...okay? "

Yang sighed to herself before speaking up, "We're trying to find Dynos. He suddenly disappeared when we returned from our mission yesterday." Noticing her teammates shocked expressions, she whispered, "They were going to find out anyways, so not point of hiding the truth. Besides, we're not telling them his secret, right?"

"That's terrible!" Pyrrha exclaimed, concern in her voice. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Blake shook her head. "Normally, we would gladly accept your help for our search, but it's already past curfew at Beacon. We should probably return back before Ms. Goodwitch delivers us...a punishment."

Knowing what was at stake for their morality, they all frantically nodded their heads at the suggestion and started heading back to Beacon. Ruby however, had a question to ask the other team. "Hey, why were you guys out here so late anyway?"

Ren sighed at the question before answering in a somewhat embarrassed voice. "...We had to go buy Nora some more pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast. Apparently, she just went through this week's supply this afternoon."

Nora pouted at the mention of the incident. "C'mon, I was really hungry! Not like you were going to finish them or anything..."

* * *

><p>"...Are they in position, <em>mon cheri<em>?"

"..."

"_Parfait_. Let the testing begin!"

* * *

><p>All 8 teenagers were now walking back towards the docks in hopes of catching the next bullhead heading towards Beacon. The night was filled with the sounds of chirping crickets and noises inside the shops and buildings along the streets of downtown Vale. "It's a shame that we couldn't help you guys with your search." Jaune spoke up, breaking the silence that filled the area. "I mean, the more people searching the better, right?"<p>

Ruby shook her head at the answer, even though she knew Jaune's intentions were to only help them in finding their missing teammate. "No offence Jaune, but I don't think it would have mattered. Dynos deliberately wanted to avoid us and wished to be hidden. Besides, I don't think the amount of people would have made a difference."

Nora pouted at the answer. "Still, I can't believe he just left you guys! I mean, what kind of person does that to his friends? I mean, he should at least te-"

Ren brought a hand to her mouth, preventing her from speaking any further. "Nora, I think he has his reasons for remaining hidden. For now though, we should probably just focus on returning back to Beacon." Looking up to the skies, he added, "Besides, it looks like it's about to rain. The sky suddenly got really cloudy for some reason."

True to his words, the sky was suddenly filled with grey clouds, blocking the usual moonlight that shined down upon them. To make matters worse, a light shower of rain started dripping down while the sound of thunder soon filled the area.

Weiss grumbled as she felt the raindrops hit her head. "Great, just what we needed: rain and thunder. Let's just hurry back now before we're completely soaked, okay?"

The others didn't need the heads up as the group of teenagers started running down the now wet road towards the docks. It would still take them awhile before they would reach their destination. And the weather wasn't helping them: the harsh winds and clashing lightning strikes made it difficult to see or hear anything that was around them.

**BOOM! CRASH!**

_What the?_ Blake's faunus ears suddenly picked up on something, causing her to stop walking and look around her. It almost sounded as if an object broke from the impact of something hard. To her surprise, nothing seemed to change in her eyes, although she was confident that someone was watching them.

Yang was the one to notice her partner's sudden cautious behaviour and stopped running. Turning towards the faunus, she asked, "Something wrong, Blake?"

"I thought I…" Blake shook her head: perhaps it had been her mind playing tricks with her. "No, it's nothing."

Yang shrugged her shoulders in response. "If you say so. Anyways, let's hurry up. The others are going to leave us if we don't join them!"

**BOOM! CRASH!**

Once again, there was that noise, hiding its presence amongst the strike of the thunder and lightning. Blake narrowed her eyes as she used her night vision to look around her. Alarms rang in her head when she spotted what had caused the noise and realized how much danger they were now in..

"Okay, what's wrong Blake?" Yang turned around once more, oblivious to the expression on her partner's face. "You've been stopping every time the thunder appears. Don't tell me you're afraid of a little-"

Blake suddenly snapped her head and shouted, "Everyone, get your weapons out and hide behind the wall of that building before the next thunder crashes down!"

"Wh-"

With no time to lose, Blake dragged Yang by the hand and almost pushed the others behind a building, out of sight from anybody on the streets. What followed was a dead silence, the pressure soon heavily dropping onto the ground and affecting the group.

Ruby quietly whispered to the faunus, "What's going on, Blake?"

Blake continued to observe their surroundings before she whispered, "I thought I was just imagining it, but every time the thunder happens, the sound of metal hitting something is followed by it. Then, after the last one crashed down, I saw the flash of some kind of sniper rifle aiming down on us. Whoever's shooting, their shots are being covered by the sound of the thunder."

Jaune slightly tilted his head, not entirely understanding the purpose of her precautions. "Is that even possible? I mean, it's not like I think you're wrong, but I doubt anyone's actually that skilled to-"

**BOOM! CRASH! **_ping…._

Her theory quickly turned out to be true when a bullet zoomed right over his head, skimming his blonde hair and striking the other wall adjacent to the group. All conversations were quickly silenced as they all stared at the now hollow bullet hole. Then, Jaune suddenly slid down to his knees, gasping for breath.

Pyrrha, thinking he was injured, yelled, "JAUNE!"

It took him a few seconds to respond as he was currently recovering from the fact he had almost died right there. "I-I'm fine, Pyrrha!" Jaune responded between gasps for breath. "Missed me by an inch, but I'm still alive thankfully!"

Knowing they would be finished if they didn't quickly move, Ruby quickly shouted, "Shoot, that sniper already knows we're hiding here! Everyone, spread out and take cover! And make sure you don't get into their crosshairs!"

Instantly, the group divided into 4 little groups of 2 and hid amongst the rows of buildings. Perhaps not the best hiding spot, yet they were still able to communicate with each other without giving away their location. The sniper must have also noticed this for they now decided to start firing like crazy, swiftly shooting the area team RWBY and JNPR recently were hiding in. They then proceeded to scan the area, looking for any signs of movement or life.

"Tch. Connections are down. Won't be able to contact Beacon even if we wanted to." Yang commented to the others as the shooting continued to happen, the sniper's intention of driving them out of their hiding places. "Any ideas, guys?"

Ruby closed her eyes shut. How would they win against this person? No matter what they could try, the sniper would easily be able to eliminate them. The idea of dividing their group into two in order to divide the attention was tempting, but Ruby could tell that whoever was shooting chose to be a sniper for a reason. Their shots were incredibly accurate and she felt that it would not matter to them if they tried to distract them. Before she could even suggest anything though, Jaune's warning tossed all of that planning straight out of the window.

"Guys, the sniper's jumping!"

Indeed, the figure had suddenly decided to leap from the rooftop they had recently been hiding on and landed on the ground. On closer inspection, they were wearing some kind of cloak with the hood pulled on. Turning around to view the scenery around them, the hooded figure then pulled out something from their cloak and pressed on it.

Weiss squinted at the figure. "Is he...waiting for something? Wait..." Pulling out her scroll, Weiss switched to the camera mode and zoomed in on the hooded figure. Now she was able to see better, and the sight before her caused her anger to increase. "He just took his own scroll out and called someone else! He dares to take all of this as a joke!"

Ruby frowned at Weiss's words, then shook her head to clear it from any thoughts revolving around the possibilities. "I don't know what he's planning, but we better use this to our advantage! Weiss. Yang. Let's go with **Freezerburn**."

"Wa-wait!" Jaune exclaimed out, thinking they were rushing in a bit too quickly. "What if it's all a trap and he wants us to attack him!?"

"He won't be able to attack if he can't see." Ruby smiled confidently as she gestured to the others to start. "Wait for it...Now!"

From there, everyone else immediately jumped out of the combo's range before Weiss quickly formed a rink of ice on the ground. Yang followed with a massive punch onto the rink of ice, resulting in a misty smokescreen to fill the area. With the hooded figure's vision severely decreased, it was now the perfect opportunity to attack whoever had been shooting at them.

Yang was the first one to attack as she quickly sprinted behind the hooded figure who still had not noticed what had happened. Smirking confidently, Yang loaded Ember Cecilia and brought a fist towards the hooded figure's head. "Gotcha now, ba-"

However, instead of blowing the hooded figure's head right off their body, a hand suddenly materialized in front of her, grabbing Yang's hand and intercepting the punch. For a moment, all was silent at what had happened until the rest of the figure appeared. As if it were magic, smoke filled the area as a second hooded figure now stood in front of Yang. Smirking, he asked rhetorically, "Now, now. That wasn't very **nice**, was it?"

Continuing to grin at Yang, who was still shocked by his appearance, the second hooded figure said, "Ryfia, _ma petite fleur_, I believe it's time to entertain our guests. So if you would please begin with the usual..."

Nodding to her hooded partner, Ryfia lifted her own hood before taking out the two hunting knives hidden beneath her cloak and doing a flip over him, causing her to suddenly appear right behind Yang, Grinning as wide as a cheshire cat, Ryfia started spinning like crazy, the tip of the blades barely scraping Yang's skin. Yang had to keep running away from the whirlwind of slashes that followed her unless she wanted to risk the chance of becoming sliced celery.

"Hey guys! I could use some help here!" Yang yelled out as she dodged another swing from the sniper.

"We're coming!" Ruby hastily replied as she readied herself for out. Turning to the others, she yelled out, "Come on guys, let's-"

She was unable to finish her sentence as she saw her friends looking up towards the sky, mouths and eyes wide open in shock. Curious at what they were staring at, she too looked up at the sky and widened at the sight before her.

A girl, who was roughly the same age as them and dressed in all blue, was floating above them, staring down at them with a look of amusement. Attached to her back were two large wings made up of thousands of paper cards, aiding the girl to hover above the ground. She also was holding some sort of book, casually flipping the pages as she continued to float in the air. Ignoring the bewildered looks from her opponents, the girl proceeded to softly land on the ground and said, "Only team RWBY shall help their teammate. The others will stay and fight me." She watched their expressions, the majority turning into looks of confusion, anger, and even fear. "Attempt to disagree with these terms and I assure you, I will wipe you all out before your friend is even able to fight off my comrades."

Jaune grimaced at what the girl had just said. From the tone of her voice, it didn't seem like she was kidding about the whole "wiping out" thing. On the other hand though, she must have wanted some reason to separate the group up. The only problem was that he didn't know what that reason was.

That meant there was only one possible thing to do, and he was probably going to regret saying it. "You guys go on and help Yang! We got this girl!"

Ruby widened her eyes when she heard Jaune's sentence. Even though she knew he was right, she didn't want to leave team JNPR alone to fight the girl. "But-"

"Ruby, there's no time in arguing! You have to go help your sister!"

Gulping in fear at Jaune's sudden harsh tone, Ruby nodded quickly. "O-okay! Just don't hurt yourselves too much, okay?"

"We'll be fine! Now go!"

With that said, team RWBY ran off to help Yang as team JNPR got ready to fight. The girl in blue simply smiled as team JNPR immediately surrounded her, their bodies and weapons in a fighting posture. "This will be interesting. Four against one, hm? Leader will be very pleased...with the results I shall bring back on you four…" Closing her book, she asked out loud with her usual empty smile, "Now, shall we begin?"

* * *

><p>"Rrghh! Stay still, will ya!?"<p>

They were still at it, like a neverending cycle of tag: Ryfia being the person who was running away from her opponent and Yang being the attacker. Sometimes, the roles would be reversed where Ryfia would suddenly go on the offensive with either her main sniping weapon or her hunting knives and Yang evading every single attack the silent girl would throw against her. But the majority of the fight was spent with Yang trying to land a single attack on her Ryfia, and sadly failing to do so.

_This girl. Is. So. Annoying. To. Deal With!_ Each thought was separated by a pause as Yang threw every attack she knew at the girl: short jabs, kicks from her legs, and even shots from Ember Celica. But Ryfia still continued to dodge, either slipping out of range from her melee attacks or shooting the shots coming from her gauntlets out of the air with her sniper rifle. Occasionally, she would slip in an attack of her own: a bullet from her rifle here, a cut from her hunting knives. This eventually brought Yang to her knees, gasping for air as all of her energy was spent shielding herself from the attacks or trying to land one of her own on Ryfia.

_She's good though, I'll give her that. _Yang scowled at her opponent, who was still smiling back at her without a single care in the world. It was annoying at first, but then it became a slight more infuriating when the girl wouldn't speak a **goddam word** during their fight. To make matters worse, her little friend was just standing on the sidelines, observing the fight while smoking the ever so casual cigarette in his mouth.

"And why are you just watching us fight!?" Yang shouted at the hooded figure as she stood up, sweat dripping off of her entire body.

"I find it….entertaining to watch this little charade continue. Besides," The hooded figure suddenly pointed his thumb to her incoming friends, "The real fight starts now."

Seeing the condition her sister was in, Ruby immediately"Blake, go help my sis! We'll handle this guy!"

Nodding to her leader, Blake immediately headed to her partner's location in order to help her in her fight. Now that she knew Yang wouldn't be fighting alone, she could now focus on the other enemy in front of them...only to realize he had suddenly disappeared.

"What? Where did he-"

The sound of a metallic weapon being drawn caused Ruby to turn around, facing her towards the hooded figure with a pair of miniature scythes in his hands. With no time to dodge the attack, Ruby could only bring Crescent Rose in front of her in a means to defend herself as the hooded figure slammed her into a brick wall. Cracks suddenly appeared in the wall as Ruby fell onto the ground, stunned by the hit.

Pulling down his own hood, the figure revealed his face, displaying a young yet slightly insane look. The teenager grinned as he continued to advance on Ruby, twirling his weapons in his hands. "Allow me to ask you a simple question, **child**: Do you truly believe you can handle Alexander Mara, one who has earned himself the title of **master of silent killing**?"

"Ruby!"

Hearing the voice of her partner caused Alexander to turn around and sigh in exasperation. "Such persistence…" he grumbled to himself before pulling Ruby up by the hood. The girl tried to fight off his grip, but it was as strong as iron. "Honestly, why don't you just give up, _mademoiselle_?"

Weiss bit her lip as their hopes of winning continued to decrease. Myrtenaster drawn right next to her, she yelled, "Let her go!"

Alexander sighed once more: this girl was truly beginning to frustrate him. He was starting to think if what leader said was all talk. "If you insist, I shall gladly oblige."

Throwing Ruby back at Weiss, she easily caught her in her arms before setting her down. By then, Ruby had regained her footing and both of them were staring at Alexander with distaste as he casually checked the chains connected to his weapons. "Now, shall we start over again? I despise to see the blood staining my new cloak…."

The two paused for a moment, wondering if they should go with **that** combo. Seeing each other's determined expression, Ruby and Weiss nodded at each before pulling out their weapons once more in a familiar stance. Slightly smirking at what was about to come, Alexander observed as Ruby yelled out, "**Ice Flower**!"

Ruby brought her scythe in a firing position while Weiss positioned several white glyphs in front of the barrel of Crescent Rose. They then proceeded to start firing towards Alexander, resulting in multiple ice powered bullets heading towards his direction.

"How amusing. A combination involving bullets and glyphs…" Alexander commented as the bullets continued to advance on him. "We must try that ourselves after this...Sadly, I am not that easy to defeat with such a fragile combination!"

Using his speed and weapons to his advantage, Alexander dodged every shot from the combo attack, either simply moving out of the way or using a combination of his chained scythes to destroy the bullets in midair. Laughing at their frustration, he then threw one of his chains at Weiss, causing it to wrap around her waist tightly. Before she had a second to remove the chain though, Alexander pulled as hard as he could, launching Weiss in the air and swinging towards his direction. He casted a small grin before proceeding to throw Weiss in every possible direction. Hitting her against buildings, throwing her onto the ground, even using his other weapon to beat her with it: it was a gruesome sight to watch and it simply continued for a few more seconds until Alexander decided to slam the poor girl into the ground, knocking her out in the process.

Ruby could only stare in horror at her partner's condition before screaming, "Weiss!"

Alexander glanced up from the injured girl to gaze upon the other girl, sneering at her frightful face. "Do not fret, she is simply unconscious...But make any sudden movements towards her and I assure you that she will be at the mercy of my revolver."

Venom dripped from his last words and Ruby could clearly hear it. Slowly nodding at his terms, Alexander kicked Weiss towards the wall, causing a bruise to appear on her forehead. This only angered Ruby even more for the treatment towards her partner, not that Alexander actually cared. "Now, I believe we still had a fight to continue? But I don't honestly expect much from you. After all, you are still a child, currently oblivious to the true horrors of this world." He taunted her, smirking as he saw the grip of her weapon tighten with every spoken word. "So permit me to ask you a simple question: what makes you any different from the other pieces of trash I have exterminated?"

Eyes flashing with anger and hate, Ruby activated her semblance and started to quickly run around Alexander. This soon became a whirlwind of dust and loose debris that surrounded him, causing his vision on the enemy to diminish. By now, Alexander was laughing so hard that he had to clutch his stomach to steady himself. "So, your deadly skill is jogging? How amusing!" Wiping his forehead to rid of the sweat, he immediately stated in a chilling voice, "Mine is **murdering** people."

Alexander proceeded to wrap himself in his own chains, entangling his body everywhere with the chains. A moment of silence followed, excluding Ruby's continuous running around the teenager. Suddenly, he screamed in madness, "Scream in pain for me!"

Chains erupted everywhere from his body, their minds telling them to search for a host with aura. They waited for the perfect moment to strike, and they soon did: rushing towards the running person, they quickly formed a little block on the ground. As useless as it seemed, the action was enough to make Ruby unexpectedly trip and fall on straight on her stomach. Now vulnerable, the chains wrapped around her leg, immediately draining her of her aura.

Ruby felt this as her energy and strength slowly deplenished. Struggling to get rid of the chains, she heard a distinct clicking sound and looked up. It revealed to be Alexander slowly walking towards the trapped girl. "I see that your leg is entangled in my chains. Just like an animal in a hunter's trap." Alexander softly chuckled at his comparison before leaning down and whispering, "Tell me, do you know what happens to an animal unable to move?"

Ruby could only give a weary confused look until that look changed to a look of fear. Alexander pulled out twin revolvers out of his cloak and suddenly screamed a bloodthirsty scream, "**IT GETS PUT DOWN**."

Luckily, he was unable to pull the trigger for Weiss was able to use a glyph to transport Ruby to her side, just in time before her partner would receive a deadly injury. Looking at her partner in concern, Weiss asked, "Ruby, are you okay!?"

It took some time before Ruby felt her strength and energy restored. "H-huff...I'm fine, Weiss! I-I should be asking you the question, though!"

"My aura protected me from most of the impact of the blow. But I'm going to have a neverlasting headache now, thanks to him!" Weiss ended the sentence with a glare

Alexander grinned at the insult. "_Merci beaucoup_! I put 100% effort into my work," He ended the sentence with a simple bow.

"Glad to know…" Weiss grumbled back before wincing at the increasing pain in her body. "What's plan B?"

"Well, I was thinking-"

But their conversation was quickly interrupted as another crash was heard besides them. Rising up from the dust were Yang and Blake, coughing extremely hard while trying to regain their composure. "Yang! Blake! Are you guys okay!?"

Yang groaned as she felt her head stop spinning. "I'll be seeing stars for a month, but I'm good."

Ruby sighed in relief that her friends were unhurt, then focused on the current problem at hand. "That's good. I'm guessing things didn't go out they way they should have went?"

"Well," Blake shook her head to remove the dust from her head. "Let's just say that the girl has a bit of talent with her weapon. And when I mean a bit of talent, I actually mean we could fire a barrage of bullets and she would be able to stop them all without any problems."

Ruby grimaced at the news before turning her attention to their approaching hooded enemies. "So we have someone who is exceptionally good at long range attacks and someone whose combat skills are enough to wipe out an entire army. Great. Let's hope team JNPR is having better luck than we are."

* * *

><p>Team JNPR on the other hand, was having anything <strong>but<strong> better luck with their opponent.

"What the heck!? We can't even make a dent on those cards!"

Elizabeth simply smiled in amusement, observing the scene before her. So far, the battle mainly consisted of team JNPR attacking and Elizabeth defending. Except in this case, the words attacking and defending were loosely used. This was because Elizabeth had enclosed several of her cards around her, acting as a cocoon to protect her from outer harm. At first, team JNPR only watched in confusion, and soon watched with wide eyes as the number of cards increased by tenfold. Their battle almost looked like a few bugs were trying to enter a guarded house: no spots were not protected by the cards.

Knowing that it would be soon time to test their powers, Elizabeth opened her book and flipped through multiple pages. "The power of dust...With the help of research and experimentation, the possibilities are endless on what you may do with it." She started speaking, only pausing when she had reached a page consisting the picture of a dragon. Elizabeth smiled even larger as she took out some red dust and spread it out on the page in a form of a hexagon. "And if put to proper use and accompanied with astonishing power, the results can be...quite devastating."

Her last word spoken, Elizabeth concentrated her aura onto the dust and started preparing the spell. Team JNPR could only look at each other in confusion before noticing that the cards surrounding Elizabeth were now gone and instead gathered around the book. A few seconds had passed before Elizabeth uttered the final words that would activate the spell, "_Rise, guardian of equality and vengeance, bringer of destruction and mayhem. It is time for you to serve your role, as an agent of chaos!_"

Flames now spouted out of her book, forming a giant spiral of fire in the air. The cards soon followed the flames, circling around the flames in a circle. Then, a spark filled the entire area….and out came a dragon.

That's right. A f$ #ing dragon. That was on fire. With large teeth, gigantic wings and a huge, spiky tail. It also spouted fire from its mouth.

...Did I forget to mention it was a dragon?

"Whoa!" Sparkles filled her eyes as Nora jumped up and down in excitement. "It's a huge, fiery dragon!"

"Nora!" Ren shouted at his friend while the others could only stare in disbelief. "Now's not the time to be admiring the thing that might kill us!"

"Whoops! Heh heh...Sorry!"

To their surprise though, Elizabeth slightly giggled at the sight as a bright smile was shown on her face. "Oh, joyful! I am glad someone has admired my work! Do you like it? I gave it the name Desdemona since it represents the only goal it works for: destruction. Now, allow me to give you a demonstration of its power..."

Snapping one of her fingers, the fiery dragon sprung to life and attacked the group. Using one of its claws as its weapon, the dragon swung at team JNPR, only to miss as they had all jumped out of its reach. Becoming more annoyed with the process, the dragon opened its hollow mouth and started spouting out flames in their general direction. This forced the team to split up and attack from different sides, only for their attacks to bounce harmlessly off of the dragon's body due to the high heat intensity the flames were producing. Regardless if the attacks were from a melee or ranged weapon, the dragon was only becoming more aggravated by the continuous bombardment of attacks.

"How the heck do we defeat this thing!?" Jaune asked to the others as he dodged yet another slam from the dragon's tail. "We can't get even close to that thing!"

"Everything has a weak spot!" Ren shouted back while firing his weapons at the giant flaming monster. "We just gotta find it before we're burnt to crisp!"

"Ooh!" Nora exclaimed. "So, we're technically like pancakes, right?"

"Now's not the moment, Nora!" Pyrrha's voice came from behind the hyperactive teenager, revealing her to be dodging another one of the dragon's fireballs.

Narrowing his eyes, Jaune quickly surveyed their enemy's body before locating the only unprotected part the flames were not covering. "It's mouth!" he exclaimed. "That's the only part that should be unprotected by the flames!"

"Even if that's true, how are we going to reach it before being set on fire!?" Ren asked out loud as he dodged another one of the dragon's attacks.

Ren had a point. The dragon's entire body was surrounded by bright flames, making it impossible to approach before combusting into flames. There was a plan that could work, but the risk levels were too high and it involved him becoming an easy target.

Then Jaune looked at the size of the dragon and at how tired his friends were from dodging the attacks and thought, _Oh, screw it. Let's hope this works!_

"Pyrrha! Nora!" Jaune yelled out, hoping to get their attention. "I have a plan! Cover me for a few seconds!" Turning towards Ren, he shouted, "Ren, make sure they aren't hurt!"

The others nodded and proceeded to change their weapons into their ranged modes. The girls then started firing to distract the dragon while Ren made sure to warn the girls from any incoming attacks from said dragon.

Meanwhile, Jaune dashed around the dragon, making sure its back was facing behind him. Taking a deep breath, he rolled under the dragon and suddenly appeared in front of its face. Obviously confused, the dragon stopped attacking and looked at Jaune, puzzled at what he was trying to accomplish.

"Oi, dragon!" He knew he was taking a very huge risk, now that he was right in front of the gigantic dragon's face. "What's the matter!? Scared of using the flames because we're so hard to hit!?"

To his relief, the taunting had worked: the dragon, obviously annoyed by the taunting, decided to teach the boy some manners by opening his mouth to burn him. But before it could, Jaune swiftly moved out of the way and shouted, "NOW!"

Instantly, a barrage of projectiles filled the dragon's mouth, consisting of Pyrrha's and Ren's bullets and Nora's grenades. Overwhelmed by the damage it had received, the dragon wobbled a bit before crashing into the ground, immediately dying from the impact. It soon reverted back to its original form: multiple cards and huge amounts of red dust were scattered everywhere, leaving a huge mess on the ground.

Elizabeth merely looked at the shattered remains of her beloved dragon before sighing to herself in exhaustion. "It seems like I will have to make changes to the properties of Desdemona when I receive the chance. Though I must say, I am surprised he would fall to such a simple attack. How interesting"

Another crash and a new dust cloud caused everyone to look besides them. Standing before them were team RWBY, heavily breathing and gasping for breath while their enemies continued to advance on them. The two leaders caught each other's eye and reassurance quickly filled their eyes: the group was still alive and kicking. That was all that mattered for now.

"Yes well," Alexander cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "Such a shame to end this so quickly, but we are on a tight schedule." Alexander then sneered as all three of them continued walking towards the group. "You have been a fantastic group to fight though, so I shall leave you with a parting gift: **Your Death**."

That being said, the attackers started sprinting towards the group who raised their own weapons in defence from the upcoming attack. But it never came. The members of team **FEAR** suddenly stopped and looked up in the air, almost as if they had felt something. A sigh could then be heard from Alexander as, to the other's surprise, he sheathed his scythes and turned towards his companions. "_Mes amies_, he has arrived. It looks like this battle is over."

Apparently the others understood what the sentence meant as they too put away their weapons and stepped back. At first, team RWBY and JNPR were confused at their actions, but they soon quickly saw what Alexander was talking about. Another hooded figure was staring down at them from the sky with wings supporting him in the air. On closer inspection, the wings were covered with a similar scale coating and resembled those of a dragon. And it didn't take a genius for team RWBY to realize who was this mysterious person.

"D-Dynos?" Ruby could hardly believe what she was seeing right now. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Dynos remained silent as he gracefully landed on the ground, tucking his wings and pulling down his hood in the process. "...How did the tests go, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth smiled at the mention of her name and proceeded to flip through her book, revealing several loose pages sticking out. "They performed better than expected, at least in my opinion. Their team coordination is exceptionally high and competes with even the highest forces of Ignacy's ranks. Their weapon handling and combat skills were moderately well, though I expected them to be a bit stronger considering your praises of their fighting were so high. However, they are very weak in emotions and spirit, something to be expected from those who have not experienced true **FEAR**."

Her leader nodded in understandment, keeping track of all key notes Elizabeth was pointing out. "...I see...You were correct. The testing went far better than expected."

Realization finally striking her, Yang suddenly yelled, "Wait, so you were the one who told these guys to try to kill us!?"

"...I assume there were some complications though, during your little testing?"

It was Alexander's turn to recount what had happened, and he did so with a deep scowl. "Heh...You read me so well, _mon ami_. Apparently, these _imbeciles_ believed it was the right idea to involve themselves in our little testing, making this little task to be _plus difficile_. Sigh…._Quelle journée..._" The last words were pointed at team JNPR, whom were looking at him in disgust.

Jaune was glaring as hard as he could at the assassin. "Hey, how would we know that this was all gonna be a huge te-"

Dynos once again interrupted, responding in his usual bland tone. "Understandable. However, I presume they have met all of your expectations, even with the extra team of 4?"

"Yes."

"But of course."

_*Nod*_

Dynos closed his eyes, finally able to relax for once, The plan would proceed as usual. For now, he would be at ease. "...Very well. Tonight was a...success. I believe it is time to leave now. Come."

That said, all four of them pulled the hoods of their cloaks back on and prepared to leave, only to be stopped by Yang's furious voice. "Hey! You're not going anywhere without telling us what the heck is going on! So do us a favour, and start by-"

"Your bodies are at the peak of exhaustion. We will tell you everything tomorrow, when your bodies are rested and in best condition." Dynos almost smirked at what he would say next: she always did call him to be a scaredy-cat of meeting others. "Fear not of finding us, for the hiding has now ended. If you wish to find the answers to your questions, meet us in Ozpin's office at 9 pm sharp. There, we will reveal everything. Rest well."

With that said, the four members of team **FEAR** quickly left the area by air: Dynos flapping his wings to leave, Elizabeth using her cards to produce her own huge wings to support her flight, and Alexander and Ryfia grabbing onto each of their representative teammates in order for them to carry them out of the area. A few seconds later, they were mere silhouettes bathed in the moonlight as team RWBY and JNPR could only stand and stare at the now fading figures. It took them a few minutes for them to recover from the shock, and a few more minutes for someone to actually say something.

Punching her fist into the ground, Yang yelled out at the top of her lungs, "That goddam bastard!"

The others could only watch as they too were thinking the same thoughts: Dynos, the person they had tried to help, their friend whom they wanted to return to be a part of team RWBY, had just tried to kill them.

**End of Chapter 12...**


	15. Something to FEAR about: Extras 1

**Prank + Accidental Damage = Uncontrollable Fury**

Ah, Beacon Academy. A well-known school that trains various students to aid them in their hopes of becoming the defenders of Remnant: hunters and huntresses. To the public and younger adolescents, it is the perfect place for those who wish to achieve this goal as it offered the best education, combat lessons, and resources at their disposal. Overall, Beacon was a sanctuary of peace and quiet.

Well, that wasn't necessarily true…

You see, every month at Beacon, there would be a...special day for the students to participate in. It was a day where they had to use everything they knew to their advantage and hope everything would turn out well. Often, this day would be declared as the most dreadful of them all, others would name it as the best time they've ever had. Sometimes, students were so scared of this particular day, they would pretend to be sick or disappear for the day in hopes of remaining absent on said day.

This day...was **Prank Day**.

Now, all of you might be wondering: So what? It's just a few silly pranks. The students wouldn't plan anything huge that could critically injure the others, right?

...That would be where the majority of you are wrong…

The truth is, Prank Day was like a paradox. Sometimes, it would be a normal day with nothing much going on. Other times...it was like hell had broke loose.

What do I mean by this?

Well, most students would pull a simple prank, such as hiding another's valuables or scaring them out of their skin. Of course, they had to be careful of whom they were pranking.

* * *

><p><em>A shrill scream could be heard in the showers while team RWBY were lounging in their dorm. Ruby, thinking that her partner had hurt herself, rushed to the washroom door and pounded on the door. "Weiss!? Are you okay!?"<em>

"_Y-yeah...I'm fine." Weiss's voice could barely be heard on the other side of the door. "G-give me a second first."_

_After a few minutes of waiting, the door opened and Ruby could only widen her eyes at the sight. Weiss had wrapped her body in a towel with her hair dripping wet with hair conditioner and water. In her hands sat a grotesque model of a head resembling a human skull, complete with fake, gorging, bloody eyes and rotten flesh used by actors that surrounded what was supposed to be its face. The sight itself was quite terrifying and Ruby instantly knew who had pulled the prank._

_Weiss gritted her teeth in order to prevent her rage from exploding. "Which. One. Of. You. Idiots. Did. This?" Anger was dripping from her words, evident that she was eager to find the culprit of the prank. _

_Ruby and Blake both instantly glanced at Yang who was trying to hold her laughter in. Finally, no longer able to contain herself, Yang fell to the ground, tears starting to form in her eyes as her laughter filled the entire room. "O-Oh my god! That worked so much better than I had planned it to be! I-I think I'm going to die from laughter now!"_

_While she was busy with laughing at her prank, Weiss silently grabbed a vial of ice dust in her reach and poured it into the corpse's mouth. Shaking it a few times and motioning at the others to get behind her, Weiss called out, "Yang?"_

_Still struggling to stop herself from laughing, Yang replied with a smile, oblivious to the danger in front of her. "Yeah?"_

"_**Catch**__." Weiss snarled as she threw the modeled skull at Yang's hair._

_In an instant, Yang's hair was covered in ice dust. This resulted in her hair quickly freezing due to the steam that was escaping from the bathroom. Yelping in pain from the sudden weight and sheer freezing she felt, Yang fell head straight on the ground, passing out from the blow._

_The others could only stare at the scene in horror before flinching at the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut in rage._

* * *

><p>Sometimes...a few students would pull the unthinkable. Sometimes a bit silly. Sometimes a bit embarrassing. Sometimes… a bit of WTF moment.<p>

* * *

><p><em>An explosion could be heard from team JNPR's room, startling every person near the area. What followed was team RWBY and team JNPR, minus Jaune since he had to retrieve something from their dorm, as well as many other students crowding at the door of team JNPR's dorm.<em>

"_Jaune?" Pyrrha knocked loudly on the door, obviously worried about her friend. "Did something happen in there? Are you alright?"_

_After a few minutes, the door slowly creaked open and Jaune made his appearance. What the others saw caused them to either stifle their laughs or widen their eyes in surprise._

_Jaune was covered in a mixture of pancake dough and white sugar, smearing his entire body in a creamy paste. In addition, a few large chunks of butter were stuck against his uniform and hair while a large amount of syrup soaked his hair, changing the natural blonde into a caramel colour. Finally, huge blobs of pink and purple paint covered his face, making it look as if it was covered in polka-dots. _

_A stunning silence passed while team RWBY and team JNPR quickly ran to Jaune and tried to wipe the mess away from their friend. However, Jaune didn't care about this right now since his attention was focused on the only member of his team who was currently silently retreating away from the scene._

"_Nora...Did you do this?"_

"_...Mmmm...Maybe?"_

"_RUN."_

_Needless to say, Nora's prank had succeeded and it took all of his friends and even some of the students from straggling the hyperactive girl to death._

* * *

><p>Well, at least the teachers and professors were mature enough to stop these kinds of shenanigans. And by no means would they participate in these activities.<p>

...Right?

* * *

><p><em>Glynda sighed to herself before starting her lesson plan to her first class. So far, the morning had gone better than she expected: Minimal damage and injuries were reported around the Beacon Campus, she was able to stop at least 20 pranks from occurring, and her brand new riding crop was expected to come in very soon. So in her opinion, this was one of the better "Prank Days" since nothing disastrous has yet to happen. <em>

"_Well class," Glynda stated out loud, catching every student's attention in the classroom. "Let us begin with a quick recount from the last lesson. Can any of you g-"_

_A sudden knock on the doors caused everyone to turn towards said door. Casting a curious look at the noise interrupting her lesson, she motioned to Blake, who was closest to the doors of the classroom, to open the door. A few seconds later, she returned with a sealed, cardboard box and handed it to the Professor._

"_The delivery man said this was meant to be delivered to you, Professor," Blake explained before returning back to her seat._

"_Thank you, Ms Belladonna," Glynda thanked with a slight nod and placed the box on her desk. She then turned to the class to resume her lesson. "Now, as I was saying-"_

_Suddenly, the package exploded, sending the contents of the package everywhere. What was inside the package? It seemed that vials of white paint and packs of coffee powder spilled out of the package since the room was soon filled with the contents of the package. And it so happened that the closest person, Professor Goodwitch, received a huge faceful of a combination of paint and coffee in her face. To top it off, a pie suddenly dropped from who knows where and landed on her head, covering her usual blonde hair with creamy, white filling._

_After a few seconds of stunned silence, a message could be heard on the intercom._

_**Dear Glynda, if you are hearing this, then you should realize that a package has arrived at your destination and it has just exploded. It should also be no surprise that it was I who sent the package due to our little argument about...coffee and tea. For that, I send you my little gift and hope you admire what was contained inside it. My regards, Professor Ozpin.**_

_After another few seconds of stunned silence, another message was broadcasted on the intercom._

_**P.S. Did I forget to mention that I may have canceled a certain riding crop that should have arrived instead of the package? I wonder who that was meant for? Oh well, it mustn't be that important, am I correct?**_

"_...__**HE IS DEAD!**_"

Needless to say, Glynda's pursuit after Ozpin almost brought the entire academy down in destruction and it took the entire Beacon staff, along with a few senior students, to contain her rage from erasing their Headmaster from this world.

* * *

><p>To summarize, Prank Day was one of those days where you would either participate in these antics or just simply hope to avoid the chaos that might follow. But no matter what, there hadn't been many severe situations where the concerns of the students' safeties were questioned.<p>

...Why are you giving me that look again? Do you not trust me?

...Oh right. I forgot about **that** incident. Ha ha, silly me.

...How did the story go again? Well, it began like this…

* * *

><p>Ruby squirmed in desperation of controlling her excitement and curiosity. Her gaze set upon Dynos's violin case lying against the wall, just shining in the sunlight which was peering into the room. It was just sitting there, beckoning her to open it and to simply stare at its contents.<p>

Gulping, Ruby slowly approached to the case and placed it on the table. She then proceeded to open the case, revealing the same violin and violin bow Dynos had showed her before the fight. There it was, glistening in its elegance and beauty. Oh, how she wished she could just pick it up, examine it, and pl-

"What the heck are you doing?"

The sound of a voice that wasn't hers brought her back to reality, causing her to quickly slam the violin case shut and turn around to reveal the bearer of the voice. It seemed like Yang had returned from her daily exercises and was planning to rest up from all the hard work.

"Oh, sis!" Ruby could only produce an embarrassed smile while awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "I-I was, you know, just wanting to look at Dynos's violin. Nothing dangerous, I promise!"

Yang however, did not lift the unhappy look on her face. "Ruby, you know how I feel whenever we mention him, right?"

Ruby was about to ask why her sister was being so mean to Dynos, but suddenly remembered the reason why Yang was acting so cold towards their newest member of the team. She could only nod back in response while a gloomy look was on her face.

It had only been a week after Dynos's recovery from his fight with Yang and the entire team was still feeling hostile when the hooded teenager's prescense was in the room. Even though they had accepted his apology for what had happened, team RWBY's trust was slowly starting to crumble. Yang, who would frequently shoot him dark glares or mutter to herself every time they would pass each other in the hallways, especially felt that they couldn't trust him anymore. Still, they didn't press any questions for Dynos to answer, but it was clear that they were desperate to hear the truth from his own mouth.

Speaking of which, the teen had suddenly been preoccupied with something that required his attention many times. Ruby knew this because Dynos rarely showed up at their dorm room. Of course, he still attended the regular daily classes, but he would simply disappear when it was nighttime. It was pretty strange, in her opinion.

"Yang," There was a sign of fear in her voice that caused Yang to look away from the towels hanging from her shoulders. "Do...Do you really hate him that much?"

There was a moment of pause. Yang then sighed in exasperation.

"It's not that, Ruby. It's just,,,he could have killed you during that fight. Actually, he could have killed anyone. I guess...I'm just mad at him for not warning us in the first place."

Ruby slowly nodding. She understood her sister's concerns. "I know how you feel, but I don't think that makes him a bad person, right? I mean, he looked really sorry when he recovered from the fight."

Yang sadly smiled while shaking her head. Even when she wanted to believe that was true, she just couldn't accept that as the truth. When Dynos had shown her that smile, it almost seemed like he had enjoyed their frustration and anger at him. The eyes he had...they were empty, devoid of everything that would make someone happy or cheerful.

"Remnant to Yang! Remnant to Yang!" Ruby waved her hand in front of her sister's face. "You still in there?"

Yang blinked her eyes before shaking her head, ridding her head of any remaining thoughts of Dynos. "Yeah, I'm fine. Anyways, what are you looking at?"

Her sister smiled from hearing Yang's usual tone in her voice. "Oh! I'm just looking at Dynos's violins!"

The word seemed to be familiar to her, but Yang wasn't quite sure."Violins? You mean, those things that are the size of a tree?"

"No Yang, that's a...bass I think? A violin...is this."

Yang gazed upon the violin. At first, there didn't seem to be anything that special about the instrument, but after observing every detail of it, she finally understood why her sister admired it as much as Dynos had. "Huh, that actually looks pretty expensive." A sudden idea popped up in her head, one that made Yang question in an innocent voice, "Uh, Ruby? How important is it to Dynos?"

Ruby thought for a moment before answering, "I don't know, but I think he treasures it a lot. Kinda like how much I treasure Crescent Rose!" The thought of how precious Crescent Rose was to her made Ruby squeal a bit in delight before turning to her sister in hopes of receiving the same reaction. However, a small frown of concern replaced her cheerful face before she asked. "Wait, why are you giving off your evil grin again?"

True to her words, Yang did have a slight mischievous look on her face. The mentioning of this reverted her face to the usual, cheerful expression. "Ah, it's nothing. Anyways, tomorrow's Prank Day, right?"

Ruby knitted her eyebrows together in suspicion. Wherever this was going, something bad was bound to happen. "Yyyyeah...Why are you asking me this?"

"Oh, no reason. No reason at all." Yang flashed an innocent smile before heading towards the dorm's bathroom. "Well, I'm gonna take my shower now. See you in a few minutes!"

Ruby frowned at the sudden change in topic, but said nothing and continued to look at the violin. Yang casted a quick glance and smiled mischieviously. Hidden in her head, a single thought rolled around in her mind.

_Oh, this will be perfect for my revenge..._

* * *

><p>Nighttime had reached Beacon Academy. Darkness and shadows covered the entire area with only a few lights illuminating the buildings. With minimal light sources and everything pitch black, one would have much difficulty seeing in the dark while trying to navigate through the shadows. But not for her. It was the right moment; the perfect time to strike.<p>

Slowly, Yang rose from her hiding place and approached the target: the violin case that was oh so precious to Dynos. Opening it to reveal the violin she was planning to use for her prank. She smiled to herself: this would be the best prank she ever played on him…

...Or it would have been if not for the sudden appearances of Ruby, Weiss, and Blake standing right behind her, the lights now on. An awkward silence quickly filled the room.

Blake shook her head in disbelief. "...Really, Yang? We knew you were this predictable, but this is kind of ridiculous."

"Wh-How did you guys know I was-"

Weiss crossed her arms, annoyed at their teammates childish actions. "Ruby told us." Said girl quickly hid from Yang's glare. "Besides, it really doesn't take a genius to figure out your plan. Asking when is prank day, figuring out that it's tomorrow. Must I continue?"

Sighing, Yang brought her hands up in a sign of surrender. "Fine, fine. You got me."

"What were you planning to do with his violin, anyway?" Blake asked in a curious tone.

Yang grinned mischievously at the question. Well, if she couldn't execute her plan, might as well describe what she was planning to do, right? "Well, I thought because he didn't want to tell us the truth and stopped showing up at our dorm, he should be, well, punished for his bad behaviour! And what better way than, hmm, I don't know? Stealing his violin and colouring it bright yellow and orange?"

A stunned silence followed her explanation of her "brilliant" plan. It was Weiss who finally broke the silence.

"Yang, I know you have really crazy ideas in your head sometimes. Okay, maybe all of the time." This resulted in Yang glaring at the heiress, to which Weiss ignored. "But do you realize how much an average violin costs!?"

"...Should I be worried?"

Weiss sighed to herself. Of course she wouldn't know. "Since I myself took private music lessons during my childhood, I'd like to inform you that violins usually cost around 500 to 2,000 lien! And that's not including the strings, rosin, chin rest, shoulder rest, or even the bow!" Thank god we stopped you before you did any real damage to his violin..." Weiss muttered the last part, her mind already dreading of what would happen if they were unable to stop Yang in time.

"Uh...Weiss? You may want to start regretting your words right now." The worried tone in Ruby's voice brought Weiss out of her thoughts. Oh, please don't tell her that...

"What do you mean 'regretting my words'?" Weiss scolded as she walked towards the violin, wondering what was wrong. Ruby showed her what the "problem" was. Then, another moment of silence followed.

"Yang Xiao Long," Weiss spoke slowly through gritted teeth. "Do not lie to me, but did you do anything to his violin **before **we entered the room?"

Something in her voice brought an unexpected feeling of worries in her head. "No, why are you-"

"Because **this** is why!" Weiss whirled around, displaying Dynos's violin in clear sight. At first, nothing seemed to be wrong, but on closer inspection indicated the little, wooden thing to be broken. "I have no idea how you did this, but you broke his bridge! Do you have any idea how much it even costs!?"

"Look, all I have to do is push this thing up and-"

Yang, thinking it was smart to use all her force to push the bridge, grabbed the violin and followed what her brain was telling her to do. What happened after was a catastrophe for the violin: all the strings broke, leaving the strings in a messy condition. It almost looked like someone took a pair of scissors and snipped the strings. And because of this sudden event, Yang yelped in surprise and dropped the violin, resulting in hundreds of scratches appearing on the entire surface of the violin.

Stunned silence filled the room. Then…

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, YANG!?"

"I DON'T KNOW! THE STRINGS JUST BROKE!"

"YEAH, PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU PRESSED TOO HARD, YOU DOLT! AND HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO SCRATCH THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE VIOLIN!?"

"WELL, I DON'T SEE YOU TRYING TO HELP, PRINCESS!"

"DON'T EVEN TRY CHANGING THE SUBJECT OF THIS CONVERSATION!"

Ruby and Blake could only watch their friends go at it again, each arguing that it was the other's fault. Finally, unable to handle all of this pointless arguing, Ruby cried out, "GUYS! NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO-"

"What seems to be the problem?"

"O-oh! Hey Dynos! Umm, how was your day?"

"...What happened to my violin?"

"W-well, y-you see...U-um...F-funny story, actually..." Yang stuttered with her words. How was she going to explain this to him without upsetting him?

Dynos sighed to himself. This was not going to be pleasant. "Ruby, what happened?"

Ruby blinked a few times before realizing her name had been used. "H-huh? W-well, I don't really k-"

"**Ruby. What. Happened.**"

The sudden harsh tone in his voice resulted in Ruby blurting the truth in rapid speed, almost as if her words breaking the speed barrier.

"...Yangwantedtopullaprankonyouandeventhoughwemanagedtostophershemanagedtobreakyourstringsandbridgeandscratchyourviolinandyouwalkedinwhileweweretryingtofixandthat'showeendeduplikethis!"

The room was filled with a tense silence as Dynos took the time to process this information. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, he asked, "...Yang, is Ruby telling the truth?"

"...Yes."

Again, the room was filled with a tense silence. Each member of team RWBY had their eyes set upon Dynos, waiting for his reaction. Finally, Dynos softly spoke in an eerie, calm voice.

"I don't remember giving you the permission of playing around with my violin, let alone even opening the case. But to be fair, I should have expected something like this from you. After all, you are known as the queen of antics at Beacon, or so I have heard from the other students. Still, for you to go this far...I am both amused and filled with rage." The others looked at him with a slight look of fear, but Dynos simply continued. "I hope you do realize that you will be responsible of covering the damage done to my violin and the purchases of new strings"

Yang groaned to herself once more, despair filling her head. This day couldn't get any worse, could it? "How much should I pay for the damages?"

"...When did I say the payment requires...monetary value?"

...Never mind. It suddenly got much worse. The small smile on his face also didn't reassure of this feeling of dread.

She could almost feel her eyes bulging out of her skull. Surely, he wasn't suggesting something...sexual right? "W-wait, what do you mean-"

"Tomorrow is Prank Day, correct?" Receiving no answer, Dynos continued, the smile on his face stretching even further. "I can assure you, it will truly be a pleasant day for you to experience. I should make preparations for tomorrow; it will be my first time participating in this event."

The four girls could only watch in sheer silence as Dynos slowly made his way towards the door. Suddenly, he stopped, as if a sudden thought had struck his mind. "Before I forget to remind you Yang, I would suggest to keep your guard up. Who knows, I might end up...burning that hair you are so proud of..."

Normally, Yang would snap at the mentioning of someone harming her hair. But the twisted smile Dynos was giving her and the small chuckles coming from his mouth, she knew he was actually serious of participating in Prank Day. After hearing the door close shut the moment he left the dorm, Yang could only ask out loud to her friends, "...I'm so screwed tomorrow, aren't I?"

The looks that her teammates were giving her confirmed her worries. There was only one thing that could be said right now.

"...Karma is a bitch."

* * *

><p>The next morning was filled with suspense, anxiety, and most of all: fear.<p>

By some random chance, the entire student body heard about what had happened the previous night and the news had immediately became the top gossip. So far, all Yang was receiving from the other students were sympathetic or worried looks and sudden movements to separate the distance from her, as if the sheer fact that they were near Yang would put them in Dynos's crosshairs. Of course, her teammates didn't abandon her, but they were also panicking, either giving the area a quick look for anything suspicious or fidgeting and squirming whenever the hooded teenager's name was mentioned.

"I'm gonna guess things got really bad last night."

Currently, they were sitting in the cafeteria along with team JNPR. Jaune shook his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe you had the courage of messing with his violin. I mean, after seeing what had happened with your fight, I thought you-"

"Jaune, it was an accident." Pyrrha smiled wryly, casting an apologetic look towards Yang's direction.

"I-I'm not telling her that it's her fault, Pyrrha! I just thought she would have none...given what happened these past days." Jaune whispered the last part while staring down at his food in shame.

"Nah, it's nothing, Vomit Boy. I had what was coming for me, so I'll be prepared for whatever Dynos has planned for me. I mean, Dynos wouldn't do anything dangerous...right guys?"

Blake closed her eyes. All this talking about the situation was going to hurt her head at some point. "At this point, I don't even want to know what goes in that head of his. He's always so quiet, we might as well put a bell on him."

"Now why would you do that to me?"

The entire cafeteria went dead silence as light footsteps approached their table. Many gasps and actions of withdrawing from the area surrounded the table. For team RWBY and JNPR however, they could only turn around with horror-stricken eyes. Walking towards them with a wrapped box in his hands was Dynos, strangely humming a quiet tune to himself.

"H-hey, Dynos..." Ruby strained to give a smile. She could already feel sweatdrops rolling off her forehead. "H-how are you d-doing today?"

"I seem to be doing fine today, actually. After finding out that the violin will have to be replaced and I will require new strings and a new bridge, it turns out that I must pay around 5000 lien to replace the damages. And to think I was saving all that money for one of my precious acquaintances..." Dynos sighed to himself, almost not regarding the presence of the others. "Ah yes. Yang, I have your little 'punishment' here."

Hearing the word resulted in Yang gulping in fear at what was in the box. She knew it was going to be a trap, she wasn't an oblivious idiot, but she did promise to cover up the damages under Dynos's conditions. Of course, the threat of burning all her hair helped persuaded Yang to make the decision.

"...You didn't put any toxic in that box, did you?" There was hesitation and fear in her voice.

"You have no reason to be afraid. I did not put anything that would cause lethal harm to you. I would assume Ozpin would obliterate me when news have reached him that one of his students suddenly 'vanished'."

"Not funny." Yang glared at his slight smirk before snatching the box from his hands. Taking a deep breath, she said out loud, "Well, here goes nothing!"

In a flash, the box was opened as Yang opened the box with her shaking hands. She squeezed her eyes in fear of what was the identity of the contents inside the box. Everyone was keeping their distance, almost as if they were expecting the box to explode.

A moment of absolute silence passed...Then another...

Finally, with gathered courage inside of her, Yang slowly opened her eyes and was confused at what she saw. Inside the box revealed a small bottle containing some kind of clear liquid. At first, she thought it was water, but closer inspections revealed the liquid to contain little particles.

"...You want me to drink that, am I right?"

Dynos nodded in response to her question. "That is correct. That will be all you need to fulfill your 'punishment'. After drinking it, we may pretend that this incident has never happened."

There seemed to be no deception or trickery in his words, but Yang didn't let her guard down just yet. Cautiously, she took the bottle and opened it, gulping its contents in one swig. She waited for a few seconds for the inevitable outcome,

Strangely, it never came.

Yang blinked at the now empty bottle. "Seriously? Was this seriously water?"

Dynos simply remained silent as he took the empty bottle from her hands and withdrew from the cafeteria. But before exiting through the doors, he called out, "Have fun, boys!"

_Wait, what does he mean by-Oh crap…_

Fearing what was going to happen next, Yang immediately casted a quick glance towards Jaune and Ren. Her fears were confirmed: they now had hearts replacing their eyes and were currently struggling to get out of their seats. They would have too, if the efforts of Pyrrha and Nora were not preventing them from leaving.

"Yang! Please marry me! You're the most beautiful thing in the world!"

"J-Jaune! Please control what you are saying!"

"My beautiful angel, why not have a little walk with me?"

"Renny, you're supposed to be together with me only!"

It wasn't the boys of team JNPR who were acting strangely though. Soon, the entire male population of the student body was flocking Yang, trying to either grab her in hopes of planting a kiss on her body or giving her an enormous hug. Needless to say, team RWBY was now currently running from the group of boys, scared of whatever they were trying to do with their teammate.

As they passed the cafeteria doors, Dynos could only chuckle at the sight before him. He should really thank Elizabeth for giving him that little potion she created. Not only did it excite the hormones in every male body in the area, but the effect would last for an entire three days. Sure, he had the antidote with him in case things started to escalate, but he wanted to watch Yang suffer a bit before he would relieve him from her punishment.

::...I should really get into these kinds of activities more often." For the first time in a long time, a dark smile creeped onto his face as he started walking back to the roof. From there, he could practice and watch the spectacle of Yang trying to not be consumed by the flocks of males. "Maybe I should invite the others to try? It would surely be...eventful, to say the least."

* * *

><p>...And so ends that story.<p>

The morale? Never piss off Dynos or you will regret every second you live, especially if you mess with his violin. If you do, well, only one thing awaits you in your future: armageddon.

**End of Extra #1…**

_And so ends the first little outside event that takes place in this story. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun writing this. =)_

_Now, onto schedule news. Now that co-op's finished, I can focus on writing this story more often. I'm hoping of getting chapter 13 and 14 done this month so I can finish chapter 15 in September. 'Course, with school starting in a month and my mom not bugging off with studying for grade 11, I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun these few weeks! Sigh…_

_Anyway, if you guys liked this special chapter, make sure to leave a review by clicking that review button. Every review helps, whether it's feedback or critique. Hope you guys have a good day and I'll see you guys later._

_- Pyrothemusical _


	16. Chapter 13: The truth comes with a price

_...Sigh...Wanna know why this chapter took a month to post?_

_...Well, let's see...Besides the fact that it was a very heavy dialogue chapter, almost covering 25 pages with around 9k+ words, my computer decided to screw around with me and deleted this chapter's draft. __**When I was halfway done**__._

_...I f***ing hate my luck sometimes…_

_Anyways, here's chapter 13, guys. I wanted to get this up before school started, and I barely met that deadline. If you like it, leave a review and tell me what you think of the story so far. As always, have a wonderful day guys, and I'll see you guys next time._

_...sigh…PS. I might have writer's block, so I may focus on that other story I was hinting at in chapter 12. I'm just...so tired right now..._

_-Pyrothemusical_

* * *

><p><strong>Something to FEAR about<strong>

Chapter 13: The truth comes with a price

"...People will always insist that you should tell the truth every time, no matter what situation you are in...They say that it won't hurt anyone...That it's much better than telling a lie...Are they trying to fool themselves? No matter what, something will come with a price. It is how this world works: in order to gain something, you must sacrifice something in exchange. Ranging from a simple cost to everything you own, it's scary to think of what's in stake. And sometimes...the price could be your life..."

Beacon Academy. Morning.

Outside Professor Ozpin's office, team RWBY and JNPR were waiting for his permission to enter. It was the following morning after the previous night's events and Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch had called both teams for their presence. The message included that team **FEAR** was already present and were currently discussing what had happened yesterday. The last part had definitely got their attention, and it was probably the reason why they had quickly rushed for Ozpin's office.

"...What do you think they're talking about in there, anyway?" Jaune broke the silence while twirling his thumbs in anxiety, no doubt that the battle yesterday had shaken him.

"Hopefully choosing what kind of punishment should be given to that son of a-" Yang would have continued, but the look Ruby gave her caused her to mutter the rest under her breath. Out of all of them, Yang was probably the most furious with what had just happened. In fact, her anger had to be restrained with the help of her friends, else the chance of injuring someone was quite high.

Ruby sighed, all hope of helping their friend lost in her mind. "Let's just hope they'll finish talking soon so we can-"

A sudden yell inside Professor Ozpin's office interrupted her, causing all of them to turn towards said noise. Shortly following after was the sound of the doors banging open, revealing an object being flung towards their direction. Luckily, they were able to quickly step out of the way before the object crashed into the wall. A few seconds of stunned silence passed, then the object stood up, revealing to be Dynos in his regular hooded cloak.

"You dare speak another insult of our students young man, and I can assure you that I will deliver severe consequences for you to experience!" Another yell brought the others back to reality as Ms. Goodwitch hurried to where Dynos was, riding crop pointed at him and eyes flashing with anger.

Unfazed by her yell, Dynos simply replied back. "Though it pains me to say this, you must admit that I speak the truth, correct? After all, the truth will always hurt more, no?"

Another stunned silence followed, before it was interrupted by Jaune's questioning voice.

"Uh...What just happened?"

"I...have absolutely no idea..." Weiss replied as the others simply continued to stare in shock at the scene before them. As if finally noticing them, Dynos turned towards them, to which they jumped at the sudden turn of his body.

"Ah...You're all here. Good." Turning back to Glynda, he added, "It would seem that we will have to continue this conversation later, Ms. Goodwitch."

However, Glynda did not seem to have the intention of moving. "Do not think you can simply change the subject and pretend that-"

"Alexander. Though it does fill my heart with content that your desire to protect me has not changed since the last time we have met, I do not think killing her would be the wisest idea you have came up with..."

Glynda froze at this and slowly turned her head, widening her eyes in surprise. True to his words, Alexander, though the others couldn't tell at first glance, had his chained scythes around her neck as if he had stood there the entire time. The position of his weapons almost looked like he was prepared to execute her, in which, to her relief, he then withdrew them under the sleeves of his cloak.

"Tch...Sometimes, I don't even know what you see in these people, _mon ami_..." Alexander grumbled. A cold glare was all that was given to Glynda before he headed back to where the rest of team **FEAR** was.

Dynos mentally sighed to himself. So far, not only did he succeed in angering one of Ozpin's most trusted allies and had certainly betrayed the trust of his friends at Beacon, but Alexander chose to release his killer intent right in front of them. If it weren't for his intentions in keeping the alliances stable, he wouldn't have to deal with this right now.

"Well, shall we begin?" Dynos asked the bewildered group, gesturing his arms in a manner of beckoning them to enter the office.

* * *

><p>To say that things were tense inside Professor Ozpin's office was an understatement.<p>

The moment the group walked in with Dynos and Ms. Goodwitch, they could already feel pairs of eyes staring down at them. Team FEAR was standing in a straight line against the wall, all wearing their own distinguish clothing. Alexander, of course, was still giving them the cold stare, sending shivers into their bodies. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was gazing upon them with curiosity and interest, as if inspecting a science experiment that had performed non-expected results. And Ryfia was still her carefree self, smiling at them while twirling a bullet between her fingers. She even waved when Yang entered the room, to which Yang growled right back with hateful eyes.

Dynos gestured to an area opposite to where team FEAR was standing. They understood the message, and so they headed there and also stood in two straight lines: team FEAR and team JNPR in each representative line. Now that everything was in place, Dynos walked towards the center of the office and faced the two teams.

"Now that we are all here and have allowed our emotions to resolve to a reasonable level from...past events, I would like to explain what has been going on. I am sure that all of you have many questions to ask. Though it may take awhile, I promise that those said questions will answered: I have no intention of hiding anything from you anymore."

A tense silence filled the room. Now that they knew he was done with hiding, the only thing they were pondering about was what Dynos was trying to keep a secret from them. After all, what had happened these past days only filled their heads with countless questions to ask.

"To begin with, I think I should answer the question that is probably stuck in your heads. It was I who told my partners to attack you. The reason for this is-"

"BASTARD!"

Unable to control her anger anymore, Yang rushed at Dynos, throwing a punch at his face. The punch made contact with his head, but he was still able to continue standing in his regular position. His teammates saw this and positioned themselves to defend their leader, but Dynos gave them one of his most recognizable messages: let the situation play out. He himself predicted that something like this would come, yet decided to do nothing to stop the coming attack. He was indeed curious as to what Yang wanted to say.

Resuming to the present, the punch blew his hood off his head, revealing his face with the very same mask he always wore. Yet he still stood there, unfazed by the punch as if it had done nothing. This only angered Yang even more as she grabbed the front of his cloak.

"WE TRUSTED YOU! ACCEPTED YOU AS OUR OWN TEAMMATE! AND THIS IS HOW YOU TRY TO REPAY US!?"

The remaining members of team RWBY and JNPR approached her to restrain the girl as by now Yang was taking things a bit too far. But to their surprise, Ozpin raised a hand, indicating for them to wait. They did so, but with wary expressions pointed towards the heated situation.

"YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT AFTER EVERYTHING YOU SAID, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY THINK OF US AS FRIENDS!? AND WHAT DO YOU DO!? YOU TRY TO GET US KILLED!"

"Enough." There it was again: that annoying, cold voice that could stop anyone from talking, no matter how determined they were. And every time, it had worked on her. "I understand your anger and will deal with any resentment you choose to throw at me. However, you must understand one thing: this was necessary for all of you to experience, else we would be unsure how you would fare in real combat."

Ruby slowly pulled her sister away from Dynos, scared that Yang would start attacking him again for saying something so ridiculous. "Why would you even say something like-" Suddenly, the answer stood in front of her, leaving her throat suddenly dry. "No way...You mean...this really was a test all along?"

Dynos gave her a strange look that, for some reason, made her cringe out of pure instinct. "Did you honestly think I would joke about something as important as that? The test was designed to prepare all of you for what we would reveal today. Once all of you have met our expectations, we would cease all fighting..." Noticing that the expressions on their faces had not changed, he quickly added, "Had you failed the test, I would have immediately called off the fighting before any...innocent blood was shed."

Weiss scoffed at his explanation. "Sure, no problem. I mean, that doesn't sound like an idiotic and insane plan that only a cold-blooded killer would think of!"

"I'm with Weiss on this one." Blake added, narrowing her eyes at the unfazed teenager. "You were just going to let your friends tear us to shreds, right? What kind of person would create a test like-"

"The professors of Beacon have set the entrance exam as a 'kill everything in sight while fighting for your lives' test." Alexander's cold voice ceased all talking, gaining everyone's attention in the process. "It was designed to push you to your limits, use everything you knew for survival, and most importantly: experiencing a real-life battle situation. Allow me to ask you a simple question: what's the difference between that and what had just happened yesterday?"

Once again, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. What Alexander said was not false: they could not deny that. Yet something still bothered the students of Beacon, and it seemed they all had the same trail of thoughts. Finally, it was Pyrrha who spoke their thoughts.

"Well, unlike your, um, 'test', the Beacon Exam still guaranteed the participants' safety, even for those who had failed the exam. In your case though, failure would result to...certain death."

Elizabeth sighed and raised her eyes out of the book in her hands. "How many times must we tell you this? Our leader made us promise him that none of you would be injured, or in extreme case, die in any possible way during our test. He was very precise with this order, so I would be thanking him for his mercy instead of complaining like the very pieces of trash humans are..."

The last words definitely surprised team RWBY and team JNPR: the unexpected amount of harshness was evident in her explanation. Noticing their discomfort, Elizabeth smiled while pulling a card out of her book.

"Besides, look on the bright side! It was a perfect representation of life! You make one mistake and poof, you're dead! I'm sure it would have been very exciting for all of you to experience."

"Wh-What's wrong with you people!?" Jaune suddenly yelled, almost screaming with a fearful expression on his face. "Joking about death and pretending to kill people, it's almost like you enjoy killing others!"

A minute passed. Then, another. The silence hung like thick fog, clouding what was going to happen. Had they taken it a bit too far this time? Had they pushed them as far as they could take before flipping their switches?

"What...is the problem...with us?"

The sudden question broke the tense atmosphere, almost making the Beacon students jump out of their skin. Then a giggle was heard. Then another. Soon, team **FEAR** started giggling to themselves, as if the question was supposed to be a joke. It then turned to fits of insane laughter, each member ignoring team RWBY's, JNPR's, and Ozpin's and Glynda's presence.

Speaking of which, their reactions varied. Team RWBY and JNPR reacted how the usual person would react in this situation: fearful expressions on their faces accompanied by bewildered stares. Glynda herself had only paled at the sudden maniacal laughing whereas Ozpin simply lifted an eyebrow at the unexpected scene, still sipping his coffee as if this was to be expected.

"Production of something truly inhuman, designed to kill anything in sight..." In a split second, it looked like Dynos was grinning while clutching his head in his hands. A dark aura seemed to envelop him in the process.

"Abandoned and left to rot on the streets, treated like trash by everyone..." Elizabeth titled her head a bit, a crazy look in her eyes as if the people in front of her were nothing more than things to examine. The book in her hands was slammed shut.

"Hunted by my own family, only to massacre them all..." Gazing at his hands as if they were still covered by the blood of his slain kin, Alexander shook in what seemed to be out of insanity. Chains began to slither down from his sleeves like snakes.

**Used for scientific experiments just because I seemed different to them…** Ryfia brought some kind of paper sign up, humming to herself while rocking her head left to right, following the melody of the song she was humming to. The bullet in her fingers dropped to the ground with a single clink.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity to the others, Dynos was able to regain his composure, standing up in the process. "There is plenty wrong with us, my friends...The reason why you do not know this is because you do not know **us**...At least, not personally yet."

"And trust us...You. Probably. Don't. Want. To. Okay? **So stop asking pointless questions about us.**" Alexander's usual cold tone returned, sending glares to his supposedly "companions".

For a moment, team RWBY and team JNPR could only stare in horror at the people before them. They thought that team **FEAR** would have at least some humanity in them. But no, they were wrong.

What stood in front of them weren't humans.

No, what was in front of them were psychopaths. Monsters. People who were driven to the point of insanity, accepted the fact, and chose to follow the path of a killer.

A slight tapping distracted the teens from these thoughts as their attention was now turned on Professor Ozpin. He took another sip from his mug before saying, "I believe we are getting off topic here. May I suggest we return to our original subject on what team **FEAR** truly wishes to accomplish?"

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to everyone else, Dynos cursed in his mind. Out of all the people he met throughout his life, it was naturally Ozpin that stood out as the most interesting <strong>and<strong> the most dangerous person he had ever known. Calm, collected, and always searching for answers as if it were his primary objective...If not careful, this man would be dangerous to even have conversations with if not wanting to reveal anything unnecessary.

"...Yes." Dynos slowly responded as he carefully watched the headmaster. "I believe that will clear all this confusion and anger...The best method of doing this though would be to…"

He paused, as if reconsidering his decision. Was it worth it, showing them the horrors they would be soon hiding? In the end, he made his mind: he would keep his promise in showing them the truth. But to do that would require assistance from his teammate. "Elizabeth?"

"Yes, my leader?"

"I believe visuals are necessary to show what they will be facing soon...I realize that it requires a large amount of dust and aura to broadcast the images...But could you-"

"It will be done. Do not be concerned of my welfare." Elizabeth smiled as she reopened her book. Stepping forward, she added, "I would like everyone to step back as I prepare myself. It would be most...unfortunate, if anyone were to break my concentration."

Not wanting to disturb the girl, team RWBY and JNPR followed her directions and took a step back, along with the rest of team **FEAR**. Now with the open space given to her. Elizabeth closed her eyes and prepared the procedure.

What followed after was to be described with a single word: astonishing.

Several hundred cards erupted from the book and formed a huge clump in front of the girl. After the last few cards left the book, Elizabeth proceeded with the next step. Aura flowed within her body and started pouring into the clump of cards. It took a few seconds, but eventually there was a significant amount of both dust and aura in the clump of cards. Light radiated from it, as if it were a living being.

Now came the difficult part: creating a solid image. Making creatures was easy for her since she was able to adapt to the requirements for the creation. But a solid image, especially one that was requested on the spot, was a bit harder than what she usually worked with. Luckily, Elizabeth managed to pass the difficult stage and finally opened her eyes. Everything was ready.

Dynos took the sudden movement as the sign that she was ready. However, he still wanted to verify that Elizabeth had truly completed the task in case Elizabeth was unprepared for what he would be requesting. "Is it ready, Elizabeth?"

A nod was all he got as a response, though he was expecting this. He knew that all of her concentration had to be focused on the image, otherwise it would disrupt the flow of dust and aura and disastrous effects would follow, causing harm to Elizabeth's body.

"Very well. An image of Walter Ignacy will do for now."

Another nod was sent as Elizabeth formed the image in her mind, clearly imagining the picture of the man. Very quickly, the cards in front of her spreaded out, creating some kind of screen out of the cards with an elderly-looking man displayed on it. At first glance, he would have been mistaken for one's butler due to the traditional characteristics: clean and expensive-looking clothes, a monocle, and a cane by his side.

"The man you see before you is Walter Ignacy, head of **Project Machination** and founder of the Renaissance Association." There was evident loathing in Dynos' voice. "He is our main target for elimination and the reason why we are having trouble in stopping him from completing his dream."

"Okay, just hold on a minute." Weiss interrupted, confusion written clearly on her face. "You haven't even told us why this man is a threat to us. Actually, what's so dangerous about him anyways?"

"I was getting to that." Dynos paused for a split second, then continued. "Do you all remember Professor's Port's story about the **CHAOS HEART**?"

It took a few seconds for the students to understand what exactly Dynos was talking about, but they then soon remembered the story their teacher had recounted to them a few days ago.

"You mean...the legend he discussed with us in class?" Blake asked with a confused look.

Dynos nodded, somewhat relieved that they would at least understand what he was about to discuss. "Do you remember what it was about?"

Yang frowned slightly as she tried to remember how it went. "Wasn't it like about this evil person who wanted to use this really evil thing and basically wanted to take over the world or something like that?"

"If you were to summarize it like that, then yes, that would be how the story went."

"But I thought Professor Port said it was only a legend..." Ruby trailed off, leaving an uncertain look in her eyes. "...It isn't?"

"...An image of the **CHAOS HEART**, Elizabeth," That was all Dynos said before turning his attention to the screen made by the cards. Elizabeth once again nodded and focused her mind on an image of the **CHAOS HEART**. In an instant, the picture of Ignacy changed into said image.

What the residents of Beacon saw left them rigid in their spots.

In short, it looked exactly like a human's heart. It had all the regular components and functions similar to a real heart. So what made it different?

It reeked of evil. Sins left from the creator of whatever it was. Spilling dark aura everywhere, one would immediately assume it was the heart of something created out of pure darkness, like a creature of the grimm. And excluding the fact it was **purple**, it seemed like it was created only for one sole purpose: killing.

"...What you see before you is no fantasy." Dynos softly spoke, carefully observing their reactions towards the revelation. "The **CHAOS HEART** will serve whoever has control over it. Representing all the sins of every human or creature on Remnant, this creation was-no, is-believed to have infinite power. It is real. It exists. And Ignacy is in possession of it."

A tense silence followed, then Ozpin's voice broke it.

"Tell me, Dynos. You say that this...object has infinite power. If so, what exactly does Ignacy want to use if for?"

"...I have already told you that Ignacy's main goal is known as **Project Machination**, correct?" His question was met with several nods. "...Ignacy sees the world as...an impure planet. Dirty...He believes that humans are the cause of this, and wishes to cleanse the filth from the world...With that said, Ignacy essentially wants all of the humans to disappear, and create a new world where no one would be stained by any of the past filth. That...is **Project Machination**."

Again, the room was met with silence, and Ozpin was the only one who seemed unfazed by any of this. "And how exactly does he plan to do this?"

Dynos frowned at this question. The truth was, his team was still not sure how Ignacy was planning to proceed with his plan. Even with all the information gathering and research the team had done over the past few years, there still weren't enough clues as to how the **CHAOS HEART** was connected to **Project Machination**, nevertheless how Ignacy was planning to use it.

"We are still unsure how he plans to extract his plan, but all we know is that the recounting of the **CHAOS HEART**'s powers were not exaggerated. If not prepared, humanity will not have a slim chance of survival from-"

A sound emitted from Ozpin's desk and interrupted Dynos. Everyone stared at where the noise was coming from as Ozpin casually walked over to the source of the noise.

"Please excuse me for a moment. I do believe someone is trying to contact me via scroll." Ozpin reached for his scroll and pressed the screen to pick up the call. "Yes?"

"Sir, there seems to be a package for you. We simply found the package on the steps of the front doors with no one acting as the courier." A young voice was heard from the scroll's speakers. It seemed to belong to one of Beacon's delivery men.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow at this. "Strange. I don't recall ordering anything this week. Did the sender leave a particular address or even a name to refer to?"

"It doesn't seem like that, sir. The only message written on the package was 'For Ozpin'. I...thought you would have already known about it, sir."

"How peculiar. Well, no point in dwelling on these mysteries right now. Could you send the package to my office now? I shall take care of it from there."

A pause was what he received as an answer. Then, the young man's voice could be heard once more, this time carrying a sheepish tone. "Actually, um. I'm already here, sir. With the package, of course."

"...May I ask why you are contacting me via scroll instead of simply knocking on the door then?"

Another pause. These were becoming more frequent as this conversation continued. "...There's a 'DO NOT KNOCK' sign on your door, sir."

Ozpin simply took another sip from his coffee mug. "Ah yes. I do remember putting that there to avoid interruptions. Well, I don't see any problem with you entering. You are given permission."

The door slowly opened with a nervous face poking in. In addition to the courier's nervous voice, it was evident how he was currently feeling. "I'm...not interrupting anything important, am I, sir?"

"No, it is quite alright. Now, I do believe the package is here?"

"O-oh yeah! Here you go!" Not wanting to waste the headmaster's time, he hurried to the desk, only for Dynos to suddenly snatch it away from him.

"Hey, what are you-" The courier protested as Dynos quickly scanned it, a suspicious look on his face. The look quickly turned into a panicked one as he immediately tossed it to Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, put a dust barrier around the package! Now!"

There was momentary confusion, but when she heard what was inside, she knew what to do. "I understand."

This time, he had taken it too far, and Glynda couldn't take it anymore. "Young man, you are taking this too far! Explain yourself immediately!"

Dynos ignored Glynda's voice as he attempted to drag the courier away from the package, despite many protests. Elizabeth, on the other hand, summoned her cards and quickly engulfed the package with said cards. "Everyone step back! It's a-"

His warning came too late when the package suddenly glowed a bright red, almost as if it was being heated by something. Then came the explosion.

**BOOM!**

* * *

><p>From an outsider's perspective, it would have simply looked like Ozpin's office had turned red for a split second, and then reverted back to its usual tranquility. Nothing out of the ordinary, right?<p>

It was a different story for the office's occupants.

Even though Elizabeth had attempted to prevent the bomb from exploding, everyone apart from Dynos and Ozpin, whom had simply stood their ground, was still thrown back by the shockwaves the bomb's explosion had produced. To make matters worse, a cloud of smoke instantly filled inside the office. Visibility was now incredibly low, and everyone spent the next few minutes trying to recover from the blast.

"Is everyone okay?" Ozpin's voice was heard from somewhere in the smoke.

Dynos waved the smoke out of his eyes and squinted, but was still unable to see anyone clearly yet. So instead, he called out, "Team **FEAR** has managed to remain unscratched from the explosion. How are the others?"

"W-we're fine!" A voice was heard, but Dynos couldn't identify it.

Once the smoke finally cleared, it seemed that Elizabeth's attempt to reduce the blast radius was successful: both teams were unharmed by the bomb's explosion, yet were obviously alarmed by the sudden detonation of the bomb.

"What-" Ruby had to cough a few times to clear her now dry throat. "Was that?"

Alexander made his way towards the remains of the bomb, inspecting each fragment with great care. "It seems to have been some kind of explosive mixed with huge quantities of dust, designed to explode the moment the package had arrived at the office. In other words, it was an attempt to kill us." Alexander's eyes narrowed, casting a quick glance at his leader.

Dynos' expression remained blank as ever as he asked the question that everyone was wondering about. "But I do wonder who was the real target here. Was it targeted at team **FEAR**, the major threat to **Project Machination**? Or perhaps it was targeted at the residents of Beacon, particularly team RWBY and JNPR?"

Silence. Judging from the looks on everybody's faces, Dynos could tell that they were all worried. But now was not the time for concern. It was time to investigate who was behind this attack.

"Could you tell us where you found the package again?" Dynos slowly asked the messenger he had just saved. His face was pure white, clearly frightened of what had occurred.

"I-I already told you what I know! It just arrived there out of nowhere with a message saying that it was for Professor Ozpin! Nobody was there to act as the deliverer, so I had assumed Professor Ozpin had already known about the package!" The fear was evident in his voice, most likely due to suddenly becoming everyone's main attention.

"...You seem to have no intention of hiding the truth from us…" Dynos finally confirmed, to which the messenger sighed in relief. What he didn't realise was Dynos slowly pulling out Kurai Homura from its sheath. "Unfortunately, I believe whoever programmed you wanted you to also believe this."

Confusion arose in the messenger's mind. Then, nothing.

In a blink of an eye, Dynos swung Kurai Homura across the neck of the messenger, disconnecting it from its body. Almost instantaneously, the body fell like a puppet having its strings cut off. There was

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID, DYNOS!?" Yang screamed, almost on the urge of throwing up at the sight.

Dynos calmy sheathed his sword, not glancing back at his accuser. "Once you have calmed down Yang, please observe the so-called 'body' on the ground."

"What do you mean, look at the-"

Her sentence was cut off when she followed his suggestion. Lying on the ground were the remains of what seemed to be the mechanical parts of a robot. Wires and metallic bits were sticking out of where the head was connected to the body, and closer inspections revealed that the skin was manufactured. In other words, fake.

"It's...a robot?"

Elizabeth knelt down, the curious look in her eyes returning. "It seems to be a similar model to those of the Atlesian Knight-200, but with less combat upgrades from its predecessors. Obviously, it was created for noncombat usage, and yet it was still able to communicate us through speech, fooling us into believing it was human. Whoever did this went through great work and detail into infiltrating Beacon."

During Elizabeth's analysis, Dynos picked up the robot's head, ripping off the remains of the artificial skin it was wearing and revealing a steel, cold head beneath it. For a few seconds, he simply stared at it, as if inspecting it in greater detail. Then, he spoke in a quiet voice.

"Adele, I am not playing these silly games of yours. Now show yourself."

Silence quickly filled the room. At first, they were confused: who was he talking to? There was no one there.

Then, a sudden voice could be heard from the robot's head.

"You really had to make things awkward for me, didn't ya?" The familiar buzzing sound of a hologram being activated followed, soon revealing a figure's image to be broadcasted from the robot's eyes.

"There. Happy now?"

When everyone got a better look of the supposed stranger, the first assumption was that the person was female due to the rather slim body and high-pitched voice. Of course, with the rather bizarre amount of static the image was producing, it was difficult to tell how this person looked like.

On closer inspection, more evidence revealed the gender of the stranger. She portrayed common feminine physical characteristics, being long, dark hair with rather huge, hazel eyes. To top it off, their attire was also quite strange. Crystal sharp as if it originated from pure glass and dyed a blood red colour, it almost resembled a red pinecone.

Dynos' expression remained stoic. "Hello Adele. It has been awhile since you last tried to kill me. I would say...at least 4 months?" Though his question was presumed to be sarcastic, his voice carried no such hint of it.

"Once again, you ignore my question. Typical..." The stranger, now identified as 'Adele', grumbled as she shook her head, a sly smile soon spreading on her face.

"You should know me better than anyone by now." But she already knew that, did she not? After all, their history went back ever since he was born. "What do you wish to discuss about? I doubt this will turn out to be a friendly conversation, considering the 'surprise' you have sent us."

Adele rolled her eyes. "Always straight to the point, never having time for chit-chat. You really haven't changed..." When he didn't answer back, she rolled her eyes again. "Fine. I'll get straight to the point...Loser."

Fishing something out of her pocket, Adele muttered several rude words such as 'idiot' and 'jerk' before retrieving said object and broadcasting it on the hologram. "Ignacy wanted me to show you another one of his 'letters'. Why he couldn't just send the letter to you now that we know where you are, I have no idea."

Dynos raised his eyebrow in question. "Was the bomb truly necessary?"

"Oh for the love of dust, just read the goddam letter!"

Again, he raised his eyebrow at her sudden change in mood, but chose to ignore it and looked at the letter. Seeing it was rather short and it would be unfair for the others to be unable to read it, Dynos decided to read it out loud.

* * *

><p>The letter read as such:<p>

_Dear Dynos,_

_It has come to our attention that you are continuing to act against work on Project Machination, our wish to change this horrible world into what it is truly destined for: pure madness. Though your efforts have been proven to be futile these past months, we have noticed that your little group of __**freaks**_ _are beginning to become a nuisance for us. Similar to a fly on a magnificent painting, you have caused enough trouble to ruin my mood and to divert my attention from our goals in order to squash the vermin (I hope you do realise that I am referring to you) that is distracting us from completing my dreams. _

_Once again, I offer you two choices. The first one is to join me in my attempt in reverting this world to its former glory: a world of desperation, insanity, and madness. You will be given the spot of my right-hand man and I will even give you the honor of leading my armies into battles that will change the fate of this world. In addition, your past crimes against my forces will be forgiven and you may even invite your so-called "partners" to join you._

_However, know that if you choose to deny this invite and continue to act against me, this will be your last warning before we will truly strike against you. There will be no hesitation in obliterating you and your pathetic teammates. But, I would suggest you in joining us before any innocent blood is shed. After all, what belongs to me should be returned to me, don't you agree?_

_We thank you for your time,_

_Walter Ignacy._

* * *

><p>When he had finished reading the letter, there was a stunned silence. It was only Adele's voice that had broken the silence.<p>

"Well, all I have to do is wait for your answer and we can wrap up this thing."

Everyone in the room carefully watched Dynos as he remained silent, likely thinking over his answer in response to the statement. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Dynos gave his answer.

"Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me. Either you take me as a fool for even trusting you or you truly think I would willingly serve as your personal weapon, designed to conquer this world just for your own satisfaction," A cold glare was pointed right at Adele. "I believe you should already know what my answer will be by now, Adele."

Adele gritted her teeth, trying to not let her anger out. She knew this was just what Dynos wanted, and Ignacy had trained her to counter his tactics. "You are so gonna regret your words, ya know? But whatever. Your funeral, I guess. See if I care."

She opened her mouth to add onto her sentence, but a noise in the background made Adele turn her head towards said noise. Suddenly, she disappeared from the hologram, accompanied by the sound of two voices conversing in a conversation. After a few seconds, Adele returned with a exasperated sigh.

"Seems like I better leave before Ignacy here gets mad at me for talking with you for so long." Another sigh, and then the sly smile returned. "Well, it's been nice seeing that you're still alive and kicking, so that definitely made up for-"

The sudden stop in her voice caught everyone's attention as her gaze was now pointed at team RWBY, team JNPR, and Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch. It was as if she had finally noticed their presence and the sheer fact appeared to be interesting to her.

"Well, well, well...You've actually got friends, Dynos! Like, real, human friends that don't treat you like some kind of freak and are still alive!" She peered closer, a wide smirk on her face. "I thought Veissy here was kidding when he said you actually socialized with some people, but this is just hilarious!" The last words were accompanied with a burst of laughter.

Yang shot daggers at her with her eyes. "You got a problem with us?"

"And they can even talk! I-I think my rib cage is gonna burst any second by now!" By now, Adele was laughing hysterically, clutching her stomach for support. Needless to say, the others were starting to become agitated with her behaviour, yet Dynos still kept his usual emotionless persona.

"Your humor still fails to amuse me, Adele."

Adele snorted at his remark, eventually calming from her fit of laughter. "Well, duh. You're probably the most clueless person I've ever met in my life. It's no surprise that you don't get most of my jokes. Anyways..."

"So you're Dynos' new buddies, huh? Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Still, don't know if I'm supposed to hate all of you for giving Dynos more power to play with, or if I'm supposed to feel pity for what's in store for all of you when you try to help Dynos in his hopeless quest."

Confused, Weiss asked, "What do you mean?"

A dark chuckle emitted from the hologram. "You really don't know, do ya? Well, that's Dynos for you. Not trusting anyone ever since his poor, little accident, yet still relying on others because he's afraid of his own power." A few laughs from her voice changed to the sound of venom dripping from her words. "I would be laughing right now if it weren't so pathetic."

"Adele..." Wherever Adele was going with this conversation, Dynos did not seem to enjoy the direction she was taking it to.

Ignoring his warning, Adele continued the taunting, her smirk gradually stretching from the corners of her face. "But who am I to blame for what he's thinking about right now? After all, he's the reason why everything's happening right now. If it weren't for him, none of this would be necessary: he wouldn't have to fight us, you guys wouldn't have to be involved, and no one innocent would have to die."

Blood drained from her face, Ruby blurt out, "What are you talking about?"

"Adele, that's enough!"

"Whoops! Did I go too far? I did, didn't I?" She continued to sneer at Dynos' now pale face. "Poor, wittle Dynos, still haunted by what he did! Terrified of what he became and shuts down all of his feelings just so he can feel safe again! It's so heartwarming that I could throw up right now!"

By now, the laughter in her voice continued to rise, increasing in volume with each laugh. Everyone, excluding team **FEAR**, was staring at Dynos with wide eyes. "Dynos, is she telling the truth?" Blake hesitatingly asked, a fearful expression on her face.

Dynos simply scowled. With everyone's attention now focused on him, they would indeed ask questions about his past. It would serve to his advantage if he were to stop Adele from revealing any more...private details about his past.

"We are finished talking here. This conversation has ended." It was all Dynos said before reaching towards the hologram in an attempt to turn it off.

"But I still can't believe you haven't told them about what you did to her yet." The sentence alone caused him to freeze in place. "How did it make you feel, anyways? When you made such a tiny mistake and still managed to lose what was most precious to you?"

For a moment, utter silence filled the room. Seeing that she was finally able to strike a nerve, Adele opened her mouth to continue her taunting. The only problem was that she didn't get a chance to continue.

Dynos' hand immediately formed into the shape of a fist and smashed the machine, crushing it to pieces and cutting off Adele's signal to the machine. Evidently, Adele's hologram disappeared, leaving only the sounds of static from the speakers in its place. But that didn't seem to satisfy Dynos' anger since a familiar dark aura surrounded his body, his killing intent released in the process.

It was obvious that the silence described the tense atmosphere in the room. In addition, with everyone's shocked faces representing their thoughts on what just happened, nobody was sure what to do next. One wrong move could potentially upset Dynos, and right now no one wanted to feel the extent of his emotions.

A whole minute of silence passed. Then, Dynos took a deep breath and exhaled, relinquishing his anger and withdrawing the dark aura that had surrounded his body.

"I suggest that you eight return your classes now. We most likely took up a bit more of your time than necessary. Do you not agree, Professor Ozpin?"

The sudden change in subject surprised the students. The calmness in his voice, his expression now blank as it once was before: how could he take the situation so calmly without at least showing a trait of hatred?

And yet, Ozpin also chose to surprise them in agreeing to Dynos' question. "Indeed. We wouldn't want to keep your teachers waiting anymore just because of a prolonged conversation. You are all dismissed."

His expression did not show any hostility, but it was clear from the tone of Ozpin's voice that he wanted them to leave. With that said, members of both team RWBY and team JNPR both bowed in gratitude and gave their thanks before leaving Ozpin's office, though some gave team **FEAR** fearful looks, especially towards Dynos.

Once he was sure that they were out of earshot, Ozpin sighed. Though the sudden appearance of the enemy Dynos had been speaking of did not surprise him, it did not soothe him that they had knowledge of his mysterious past, something Dynos was not willing to share with him yet. That meant either they had quite a number of spies in Vale...or they were already quite acquainted with Dynos.

Either way, it was clear by the tone of his voice that Ozpin was worried of what was to come. "What do you propose to be our next move?"

"...We need to make sure there are no more of these 'surprises' Adele has left us." A small frown appeared on his face as if a thought had crossed his mind. "Even though it seems that she had only left one behind, I would rather waste time looking over the problem than to risk the lives of the students."

Ozpin raised his eyebrow, surprised at his proposition, This was unlike Dynos: usually, he would dismiss the possibility of something dangering the student's lives and simply focus at the task at hand. Yet here he was, proposing to do something completely opposite of his beliefs.

There was firm doubt in Ozpin's voice as he asked, "If I may be honest here, I am rather surprised you would say this. I thought you did not mind putting lives in danger in order to reach your goals. What made you change your mind?"

A pause. A gesture to lift his hood up. Then, the coldness in his voice.

"Do not think I have grown soft on these students of yours: I am in no way trying to become friends with them. Simply because I have expressed concern over them does not mean I will always be there to protect them. The storm that is coming for them-no, for Remnant's inhabitants-will leave them frozen with fear. Similar to how you are preparing them to be Huntsmen and Huntresses, I will be merely preparing them to endure for what is to come. The only difference will be that my methods...are not suited for the faint-hearted."

Whether or not Ozpin would have made an attempt to speak, he was not given a chance. The leader of team **FEAR** was already giving instructions to his teammates.

"Alexander. Ryfia. I need you two to survey the school for anymore of these packages. Knowing Adele, this cannot be the only one she has left behind. You already know how to find them, so I assume there will be no trouble at all. After you have made sure that none of these explosives are in the area, you may wander around the school. Take notice of your surroundings, the students, and any out of the ordinary. We may be required to make our presence known here."

The pair nodded and started walking towards the exit before Alexander suddenly turned around. "Make sure to take the obsidian dart with you, _d'accord_? The last thing we need is for you to be on another rampage and-"

"Thank you for your concerns. I'll keep it with me."

Alexander hesitated at the sudden change of tone in his voice, but shrugged it off and went with his partner to finish their task. Confident that they would succeed, Dynos turned towards Elizabeth who was still recovering from projecting the images.

"If you are still able to Elizabeth, I request an analysis, both on the time bomb and the robot Adele has left behind. If we are lucky, we may be able to find the origins of where these parts were manufactured from. From there, we can strike and deal a crushing blow on Ignacy's forces."

Though her expression described great pain, Elizabeth quickly stood to attention and bowed. "I'll see to it immediately."

Hesitation was in his voice when he spoke again. Dynos knew how loyal Elizabeth was to him, but sometimes she would forget the importance of her own welfare while working. "Do not force yourself, Elizabeth. I know that projecting the images has already deplenished the majority of your aura and dust. If you don't feel well-"

Elizabeth interrupted with a smile. "Your concern is appreciated, Dynos. However, I must remind you that I am dedicated to serve you. There is no needed to be worried over my welfare."

"...Very well. But make sure to rest afterwards. After all, you are not a machine, but a human being. There will be a point where you must rest..."

"...Alright." The grin simply grew larger, almost displaying a playful smile on her face. "But only because you have asked so nicely, I shall follow your request. But this will be the only time, okay?"

Not waiting for a response, Elizabeth left the office, gathering the remains of the robot and skipping merrily out to perform her research. Now there were only three people in the office: Ozpin, Glynda, and Dynos.

"...I would like to speak to you in private, Ozpin." His voice was like the sound of the winter chills passing through shattered glass: tired, yet still strong. "Ms. Goodwitch, if you may..."

Knowing where he was going with this, Glynda opened her mouth to retort, still frustrated by his past actions. However, Ozpin beat her to the punch.

"Very well. Glynda, could you please give us a few minutes?"

Shock and confusion coursed through her mind and body. How could Ozpin still let him have his way? He had not done anything yet to gain their trust and had even put the students' lives at risk!

But the look on Ozpin's face told her that this was not her choice in the matter this time. It was a silent message, but she understood and hesitantly left the office. There were now the two of them in the office.

"...With those I qualify as allies, we stand strong. United." Dynos' voice softly broke the eerie silence. Concern was also in his voice, something Ozpin hadn't heard in a long time. "Working together with others of different strength levels, the tower will eventually crumble. Collapsing into a pile of rubble." His attention was now fixed outside the window where team RWBY and JNPR could be seen heading out to their respective classes. "...As leader of team **FEAR**, I thought that was necessary. To separate ourselves from the weak."

Ozpin simply took a sip from his coffee. "And yet here you are, working with those who do not stand a chance against you in combat." No response. He decided to continue. "You may drop the charade, Dynos. I know that during your fights, you are not fighting your opponents with 100% of your true power. In fact, you were merely using half of your strength during your fights with Ms. Schnee and Xiao Long. But your words and actions indicate that you show no remorse in killing. So permit me to ask you this: what purpose does your restrainment serve? Why not reach for the help of others instead of always relying on team **FEAR**?."

Silence met his question. Inside, Ozpin mentally sighed. Perhaps it wasn't the time to ask such deep questions yet. After all, it was the only way to pry answers out of Dynos: he was always chose to keep his background to those he trusted, and it seemed that Ozpin didn't qualified. Not yet, at least.

Still, he had no intention of attacking the leader with such deep questions. Dynos was probably already both physically and mentally exhausted from today's events. Even though Ozpin knew he was strong in both categories, Dynos was still human. There would be a line that would be crossed one day, and today didn't seem to be the best day to cross it.

"Perhaps I should not have persisted for answers from you." For the first time in awhile, Ozpin grimaced at how much his words must have affected Dynos. "If that is all we need to talk about, you are permitted to miss your classes today. I know that you are also probably exhausted from what had happened and it would be wise to rest until- "

"Ozpin...The part where Adele was talking about my loss...That was only half of the truth."

Ozpin blinked. This was something he did not expect to hear from Dynos. "What could you possibly mean?"

"...There was a time when I was considered to be...'normal'. Even with my destructive powers and bloody past, I had someone with me who would only judge me for who I truly was in the inside." Hidden under the darkness of his hood, a shadow crept onto his face. Even without seeing it, Ozpin felt it. Was it anger? Confusion? Possibly even pure hatred?

Dynos chose to continue. He was already too deep with this conversation, and there was no purpose of leaving a loose end for Ozpin to ponder about all day. "This was before team **FEAR **was created. Before I had met any of them." A pause to recollect his thoughts. "She...was the light that brought me out of the darkness. The one who made me believe that maybe...this world still had potential to be a safe haven for humanity to survive in." Another pause, then a dark tone surrounding his voice, almost sending a chill down Ozpin's spine.. "...It was my fault that she left me, and I'll be damned if it happens to anyone who cannot survive the full power of my true strength."

The office immediately grew quiet. "Dynos, are you telling me that you-"

This time however, Dynos did not give Ozpin time to ask his questions. Bowing in respect and as a gesture of gratitude, Dynos quickly exited through the doors of the office, leaving a thudding sound of the doors closing shut to echo outside. Ozpin made no move to stop him: he knew that this was definitely something Dynos wanted hidden from others.

But there was something that Ozpin instantly caught on after Dynos had left. It was a surprise that he hadn't considered the possibility before, but Dynos had always been an enigma that was difficult to figure out. Easily recognized by experienced huntsmen and huntresses, this was something that could only be found by those who had experienced the loss of others.

Survivor's guilt.

**End of Chapter 13...**


End file.
